Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Farooq welcomes Zardari's visit to India

Srinagar, Apr 7 (ANI): All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Moderate) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has asked leaders of India and Pakistan to use Sunday's visit of President Asif Ali Zardari as an opportunity to cement bilateral ties.

"We would be happy to see the countries of India and Pakistan develop and prosper. We are happy that President Asif Ali Zardari is visiting New Delhi, during which he would hold a dialogue with his Indian counterpart," Farooq told media here.

" We welcome the visit, and feel that this should be seen as an opportunity to strengthen the dialogue and peace process by the two countries," he added.

He, however, said that till the basic issue of Kashmir is not resolved as per the wishes of its people, relations between the two countries would not get better.

"If the two leaders of the country are trying to start a new beginning then this would have a positive impact on the people and condition of the Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

During his visit, Zardari will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his official residence before proceeding to Jaipur and Ajmer. In Ajmer, he will offer prayers at the shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

Zardari had earlier visited the shrine in 2005, with his wife, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Though Zardari's visit is personal in nature, it is bound to have strong ramifications for the two nations. (ANI)