A top militant leader Friday asked India not to block Kashmiri separatist team's visit to Pakistan if it desired a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue. Salahuddin welcomed the Hurriyat decision on Thursday not to hold talks with India unless Pakistan is involved in any attempt to find a permanent solution to the festering Kashmir dispute. Muslim-majority Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both. A Muslim separatist rebellion on the Indian side has claimed more than 34,000 lives since 1989, according to Indian figures.
Separatist leaders say the death toll is twice as high.