Kashmiri leader calls for ceasefire

The main separatist alliance in Indian administered Kashmir, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, has called for a ceasefire by all groups to pave the way for peace talks.

The chairman of the alliance, Abdul Gani Bhat, urged India, Pakistan and militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir to initiate negotiations.

The call by Mr Bhat comes in the wake of an escalation in violence in the troubled region.

However, the Indian Home Minister, LK Advani, last month ruled out any new ceasefire in Kashmir, where officials estimate more than 30,000 people have died since 1989.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service