Former Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who along with another moderate leader Abdul Gani Bhat, attended the two-hour meeting, said such interactions should increase and similar meetings should be held in Muzaffarabad, Srinagar and Jammu.
Kasuri said that in the meeting with PoK leaders, he emphasised that Pakistan's policy on Jammu and Kashmir was based on the premise that its final settlement had to be in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri people.
"India should understand that it cannot resolve the Kashmir issue by keeping pro-freedom groups away from the dialogue process."
Hitting out at Pakistan for its sharp reaction on India's military doctrine, he said, "I don't know why there is this over-reaction. India is not a war-mongering country. In spite of our differences with some of the neighbouring countries, we are trying to improve our relations with them. We have no extra-territorial ambition but our concern is to protect the country's territorial integrity."
Ignoring India's opposition, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan will hold dialogue with Kashmiri separatists to take them into confidence before engaging in peace talks with India.
Pakistan's military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor in a midnight tweet expressed disappointment at Gen Rawat's assertions.
Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat made this suggestion on the BBC World's weekly programme Question Time Pakistan broadcast on Friday.
Pakistan has denied allegations leveled by Indian Army Chief General VK Singh about the existence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Sources said the accusation comes after Geelani nominated his close aide Ghulam Nabi Sofi as the leader of the Hurriyat in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, replacing Abdullah Malik.
The deceased have been identified as Major K P Rane, hawaldars Jamie Singh and Vikramjeet and rifleman Mandeep.
The NIA will seek their transit remand and bring them to Delhi for further questioning
"I can never let down the Kashmiris, (I) can never forget Kashmir. A solution for Kashmir is closest to my heart and I will take it forward towards a resolution," he said.
After causing widespread damage in northern Punjab in Pakistan, the devastating floods now threaten the historic city of Multan and its famous shrines, even as authorities struggle to save the city.
A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist returned to India via Nepal and surrendered before police in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Wednesday after spending two decades in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, police said.
He was arrested while he was demonstrating against the Kashmir policy of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.
Qureshi urged for unity among political parties in Pakistan on Kashmir and warned that doing politics on the issue would harm the cause.
"The response to the rehabilitation policy (for militants in PoK) has been better than expected. We have received 600 to 700 applications," Omar told media persons in Srinagar.
In a statement outfit chief Syed Salahuddin said there would be no peace in the valley until the residents are allowed to decide their own fate.
India on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan for "inciting and supporting" terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing relief over return of its officers and helicopter which had strayed into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir due to bad weather, India on Sunday said it "greatly appreciates" the manner in which Pakistan has worked with it in resolving the matter.
Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, one of three militants released by India in 1999 in exchange for passengers of a hijacked Indian Airlines flight, has decided to revive an "armed struggle" in Jammu and Kashmir while using Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as the base for his Al Umar Mujahideen group.
The Indian Army chief, who is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, to review LoC operations, said, "It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us."
He said India was 'very careful' while taking action against terror camps in Balakot across the border after the Pulwama attack.
The prime minister suggested steps like increased transportation linkages between India and Pakistan and more people-to-people contact.
He said time has come for freedom of PoK and it would be part of India soon.
Masood Khan, Pakistan's Ambassador to China, said that a feasibility study of the railway had been conducted but there was still no time-table for starting the construction.
The United States on Monday night removed from the State Department's website a map of India showing Pakistan occupied Kashmir as part of Pakistan after New Delhi raised objections to it.
Of these 120 militants, 33 are Pakistani nationals while the rest are Kashmiris, the source said.
All parties in Jammu and Kashmir said the assembly election should be held with the parliamentary polls, but the entire administrative machinery said it cannot be done simultaneously
The people in both places have lived in a state of denial, refusing to accept the bald fact that resorting to violence against an infinitely superior force is suicidal, observes T N Ninan.
Chairman Shaharyar Khan said PCB would not ask India to play a one-day match in Pakistan occupied Kashmir
The deputy prime minister said India was not bothered about Pakistan's statement that there was no change in its stand on Kashmir.
Musharraf responded to Singh by saying that there was "complete autonomy" in PoK and Gilgit but "he was open to consider if anything further needs to be done in this case," it said.
India made plain its opposition to China on issuance of stapled visas to Kashmiris and developmental work in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, even as the two sides inked an agreement to set up a hotline between their prime ministers.
The rehabilitation policy okayed by the Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday facilitating the return of youth who had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir since 1990 for arms training has not gone down well with the Opposition parties.
Earlier, Pakistani military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor claimed that two Indian Air Force pilots were arrested. One pilot is injured and has been shifted to a hospital, while another one is unhurt, the spokesman had said.
Indian Army sources said Pakistan Army is using Kashmiris in PoK as cannon fodder and Indian security forces are ready to deal with any eventualities along the LoC.
