Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s phone call to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has raised hopes in the Valley with many expecting a thaw in the Indo-Pak ties.Hailing the development, J-K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said: ‘‘The expectations that Pakistan’s response has raised would be reflected in the ground situation.’’Welcoming the gesture, Hurriyat leader and chief priest of Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq hoped that bilateral dialogue would resume soon: ‘‘It’s a welcome step that could lead to the opening of diplomatic channels. This would certainly lead to improvement on the ground.”Frontline separatist leader Shabir Shah, while calling the telephonic conversation between the two PMs a good omen, hoped that it would lead to the end of bitterness between two countries. ‘‘It’s a courageous step which could lead to an era of peace in the sub-continent. There must be sincerity in the dialogue between the two countries which could break the deadlock and end the bitterness,’’ he said.The Congress, too has welcomed the step. ‘‘It’s a good step as we believe the present crisis can be resolved through dialogue. The Centre should respond positively to Jamali’s offer. It should take all parties into confidence before starting the dialogue process. People are in favour of dialogue in the Valley,’’ said state unit spokesperson Abdul Gani Vakil.
