The Centre hopes that the recent meetings Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] had with Kashmiri leaders Sajjad Lone and Yasin Malik will lead to an honourable solution to the vexed issue, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

"The government considers this as a good beginning and hopes that the dialogue with all the groups in the state will lead to an honourable solution to all issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir [Images]," Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal said during Question Hour.

Dr Singh had a meeting with a six-member delegation, led by People's Conference Chairman Sajjad Lone, on January 14 and later with another team led by JKLF leader Yasin Malik.

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Referring to the prime minister's talks with the Hurriyat Conference delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in September, Jaiswal said it was agreed at the meeting that the only way forward was to ensure that all forms of violence at all levels comes to an end.

It was also agreed to carry forward the dialogue process so that all regions and all shades of political opinion in J and K were involved, he said.

In pursuance of these talks, the Joint Screening Committee in Srinagar [Images] reviewed the cases of persons under detention in the state and finally released 44 of them, the minister said.