Srinagar: Home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the government is ready to talk to Hurriyat Conference and also to Pakistan if they too are ready for the engagement.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed Mr  Singh’s statement.

She said that a peaceful engagement is urgently needed to get J&K out of violence cycle. She appealed Hurriyat Conference “to display maturity and show responsibility towards people”.

Mr. Singh had earlier during the day on Saturday said, “If Hurriyat is ready to talk, we have no problem, we are ready to talk to anyone. Even if Pakistan comes for a dialogue, we are ready for it.”

While talking to Aaj Tak TV channel during a programme held in New Delhi to mark four years of the Narendra Modi government, the home minister said “There is no problem in any dialogue with Pakistan, it is our neighbour but Pakistan has to stop promoting terrorism first.” He refuted reports of confusion in the Central government over its Kashmir policy. “There is no confusion about our Kashmir policy,” he said, adding that they want to end the cycle of violence. “But we believe that Kashmir and Kashmiris both are our own. We want to win their hearts. Suspension of operations was one of the measures towards this aim,” he said.

Ms Mufti in a statement described the home minister’s assertion as a welcome step to initiate dialogue and reconciliation in the State. She said, “Given the positive outcome from the ground on the Ramzan ceasefire in J&K, the peace constituency in the country and the State should feel encouraged to start the much needed process of peaceful engagement with all stakeholders in the State”.

The chief minister hoped that parties and groups like Hurriyat Conference will seize the opportunity and show their responsibility towards the people of the state “by displaying the much needed maturity so that the opportunity is not wasted”.

She asserted a peaceful engagement among all the stakeholders in the State is urgently needed to get it out of the unending cycle of violence and provide its people, a secure, prosperous and peaceful future.