Claiming that the atmosphere in the Valley was not conducive for talks,separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah today ruled out meeting central interlocutors on Kashmir. "There has been no progress on demilitarisation,release of detenues and prosecution of personnel involved in last summer's killings in Kashmir. In this atmosphere,holding talks with the interlocutors is a futile exercise," Shah told reporters here. He said the three interlocutors have at various stages admitted that there was a need for demilitarising the state,releasing detenues and putting an end to the killings. "But the ground situation continues to be the same," Shah said. He said the separatist camp in Kashmir was not against dialogue for resolution of the Kashmir issue but talks cannot be held when harassment and intimidation of the people are going on. Welcoming the resumption of Indo-Pakistan talks,Shah,however,said bilateral talks will not help in resolving the Kashmir issue. "Based on our experience,bilateral talks will not help. Dialogue has to be tripartite where India and Pakistan are parties to Kashmir issue but people of Jammu and Kashmir are the basic party to the dispute," he said. Shah said he would not hesitate to meet the interlocutors if the atmosphere becomes conducive. "We want resolution of the Kashmir issue and dialogue is the only way but that is possible only when there is change in the ground situation," he added.
