Mehbooba Mufti welcomes Centre's Kashmir initiative, says dialogue is the only way forward

A sustained dialogue will be initiated by the government to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, Rajnath Singh said on Monday.

Mehbooba Mufti welcomes Centre's Kashmir initiative, says dialogue is the only way forward File photo

Srinagar: Welcoming Central government's initiative of a sustained dialogue to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday that it was the only way to go forward.

"Welcome the initiative of Union government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir," she tweeted.

The J&K CM added, "Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward. This dialogue initiative is in line with PM Narendra Modi's 15th August speech ‘na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se.

Addressing a press conference, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that former director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dineshwar Sharma would be the central government's representative to initiate dialogue with all stakeholders in J&K.

Sharma, a 1979-batch (retired) officer of the Indian Police Service, served as the IB director between December, 2014 and 2016.

He will decide whom he wants to hold talks with, Singh said when asked whether he would have dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference.

The initiative has been taken as per PM Modi's Independence Day address, Singh said. 

(With PTI inputs)