Indo-Pak peace hopes at half-century high

"Never before in the last 40 to 50 years has the climate for peace been as favourable as it is today," Governor S.K. Sinha told reporters late Monday at a military compound within view of Pakistani troops at Uri in Kashmir.

"Something commendable has taken place on the ground," said Sinha, a former army general, referring to a November 26 border ceasefire in Kashmir between Pakistan and India.

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He said the infiltration of Islamic rebels over the de facto border to take part in the uprising against Indian rule in Kashmir has "reduced."

"Hopefully when the summer comes and snow melts this situation may continue," he said.

Uri, 100km northwest of Indian Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar, has largely returned to normal under the truce with the reopening of schools, shops and restaurants.

"When I came here in June last year there used to be cross-border exchanges every day," Sinha said.

India and Pakistan, which both control parts of Kashmir and claim it in full, last month resumed bilateral talks after a hiatus of two and a half years.

At the same time, however, Kashmir separatists have threatened to pull out of breakthrough talks with the Indian government unless the human rights situation improved.

Four people were killed in the latest separatist violence in Kashmir, police said.

Indian troops shot dead two Islamic militants overnight near the northern town of Handwara. Hours later, suspected militants broke into a civilian's home inside Handwara and shot him dead, police said.