ONE of the main Islamic separatist groups fighting in Kashmir dismissed a ceasefire between India and Pakistan that began yesterday and said it would continue attacks in India?s part of the territory.

Salim Hashmi, spokesman for the pro-Pakistan Hezb-ul Mujahideen, said the ceasefire applied only to Indian and Pakistani troops along the military Line of Control dividing Kashmir and past such agreements had not helped resolve the long-running dispute over the territory.

?The ceasefire is meaningless unless the Kashmir issue is addressed in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiris,? he said by telephone from the city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.

?Our activities are confined to Indian-occupied Kashmir. This ceasefire is on the Line of Control and will not affect our activities in Indian Kashmir. We will continue those activities against Indian forces.?

India and Pakistan began a ceasefire yesterday along the Line of Control, one of the most heavily militarised and volatile parts of the world. The new move to calm ties between the nuclear-armed rivals, launched as Muslims on both sides celebrated their most important festival, Eid-ul-Fitr, appeared to be at least initially successful with officials on both sides saying the ceasefire was holding.

Indian and Pakistani troops, who are in close proximity at several places along the 742-km (460 mile) control line, exchange gunfire nearly every day. Analysts say the ceasefire will help improve the atmosphere ahead of an expected visit to Islamabad by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for a regional summit in early January.

But India has so far rejected any possibility of Vajpayee holding talks with Pakistani leaders on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, saying Islamabad must first stop helping militants in Kashmir.

Islamabad denies New Delhi?s charges that it is funding, training and infiltrating militants into Indian Kashmir to join a 14-year revolt there in which tens of thousands have died.