Moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq on Friday confirmed that Dileep Padgaonkar, veteran journalist and one of the interlocutors appointed by the Centre for Kashmir, had called him for a meeting.
"Dileep Padgaonkar called me on Thursday and requested a meeting, which I declined. I told Padgaonkar that it was our stand not to meet them as long as our demands are not met," the Mirwaiz said.
The Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat Conference's demands, which the group had put forward in 2006, included 'withdrawal of troops, repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, release of political detenues as a pre-condition to dialogue with central interlocutors'.
"I told them that the situation on the ground must change for any dialogue to become meaningful," Mirwaiz told newsmen before delivering the weekly sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid.
The Mirwaiz later left for New Delhi on his way to London to attend a seminar on Kashmir. The seminar 'Asian powers in Kashmir: Pakistan, India and China' is being held in London on January 25-26.
The seminar is being organised by the Royal United Services Institute -- a British defence and security think-tank.
The Mirwaiz said there has been a growing awareness globally about the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
He also said the proposed Ekta Yatra by the Bharatiya Janata Party was part of its plans to have the state divided into three regions.
"The people will resist all such attempts," he added.
