Independence for Kashmir not possible: Saifuddin

Former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz said that independence for Kashmir is not possible.

This came hours after the senior Congress leader seconded former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's claim that Kashmiris would want to stay independent if given a chance.

"Vajpayee and Musharraf had a conversation, and then Manmohan-Musharraf had a discussion. Unfortunately, Musharraf went out of the system. He wanted dignified peace with India. Today, I am telling Kashmir that independence is not possible," Saifuddin told media here.

However, he suggested that India and Pakistan should talk peace.

Saifuddin, in his forthcoming book 'Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle', had stated that Musharraf's assessment of Kashmir "seems to be correct even today."

In this regard, the Congress leader in an interview to ANI, said, "Musharraf said Kashmiris don't want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same but I know that it is not possible."

Earlier, Soz had blamed India for the unrest in Valley.