Srinagar:Twenty-two prominent citizens, including retired bureaucrats and judges, on Wednesday wrote a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee and called for “meaningful talks” on Kashmir.

The memorandum — signed by former Chairman of the State Public Service Commission M. Shafi Pandit, ex-High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi, former Chief Information Commissioner G.R. Sufi, former Vice Chancellor Abdul Wahid, Editor of the Greater Kashmir newspaper Fayaz A. Kaloo, among others — called for “direct, immediate, purposeful and result-oriented dialogue with all stakeholders”.

Speaking to The Hindu former CIC Mr. Sufi said, “We are heading towards a disastrous situation. The current uprising may be suppressed for the time being but it will have dangerous manifestations later.”

Seeking confidence building measures, they sought withdrawal of laws like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act. It stressed the need to ban pellet guns. “A retired judge of the Supreme Court should inquire into all civilian killings and blinding caused by security forces,” said the memorandum.