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| PM gives no assurance to Sayeed on troop reduction | | | New Delhi, March 22
Giving no assurance to PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on troop withdrawal from civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir for the time being, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday, however, agreed to continue discussions on the issue.
After a 45-minute luncheon meeting with the Prime Minister, the PDP leader, who had made it clear that he cannot wait till summer for force withdrawal, skirted pointed queries from reporters on the issues raised by him.
"I informed the Prime Minister of issues like gradual withdrawal of forces, repeal of anti-terror laws and vacation of public property by security forces," he said.
On the eve of his meeting with Singh, Sayeed had on Wednesday night insisted that that he would not be satisfied with 'window dressing' by the Centre on PDP's demand for troop reduction.
"They have agreed to continue the conversation," PM's media advisor Sanjaya Baru said after the parleys.
Terming the meeting a routine one, he said, "It was part of the Prime Minister's exercise to meet his UPA allies. As per this exercise, the Prime Minister on Thursday met Sayeed like a few days back he had met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee."
Sayeed declined to reply to a question on his statement on Wednesday that he needed some assurance from the Centre as 'every day counts'.
Asked whether PDP would pull out of the coalition with Congress in J&K, Sayeed said there was no need to put the cart before the horse. He refused to take further questions.
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