New Delhi, Aug 12: Syed Salahuddin, the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, has offered full protection to all Kashmiri Pandits if they return to the state.
The statement assumes significance because of its timing. A delegation of Indian MPs is in Pakistan for what`s called Track II diplomacy.

India and Pakistan are now the closest in almost two years to resuming normal diplomatic and travel ties.
The Hizbul has always maintained that it is fighting for the independence of all Kashmiris, so the latest statement is not really a complete change in stance.


Today, around 10,000 Kashmiri Pandits still live in the state. In 1989, at the start of militant and terrorist activity, nearly 1.5 lakh Pandits lived there. Bureau Report