Asserting that the National Conference stood for greater autonomy as a solution to Kashmir issue, party patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday that his party would welcome a better solution to the issue.

"We stand by our conviction that the resolution of Kashmir issue lay in restoration of autonomy. However, we will welcome if there is a better solution than that," Abdullah told reporters, after chairing a meeting of party legislators a day ahead of the autumn session of the legislature.

Abdullah said the confidence-building and reconciliation process needed to be expanded and expedited so that the people of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] could benefit from the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan. "The scope of confidence building and reconciliation process needs to be widened. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images] has also expressed his wish to expedite the peace process," he said.

• Dr Farooq Abdullah's Kashmir solution

The former Chief Minister said more routes across the Line of Control should be opened and travel to either side of Kashmir should be made easier so that common people from both sides can see the situation for themselves.

On the forthcoming assembly session, he said the assembly should be convened three times a year instead of the present practice of twice a year so that representatives of people can highlight the problems faced by their electorate in the assembly.

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