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| Antony rules out immediate troop reduction in Kashmir | | | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mar. 26
Defence Minister A K Antony has ruled out the prospect of immediate troop reduction in Kashmir, saying that the threat of infiltration is still imminent in the disputed region.
The situation in Kashmir is not conducive for a complete withdrawal of troops, as demanded by the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling ally of Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I dream of the day when all of our soldiers can go back to their cantonments. This is our dream. It is the dream of the Government, but it depends on the objective situation. You know armed forces were sent there not because we wanted to, but the situation that developed at that time to prevent an aggression and protect our territory. That is why we sent our armed forces there. That threat is still there. Nobody can say that threat is completely over," Antony told reporters on Sunday during his two-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has been under pressure from PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to cut troops in the Kashmir Valley.
Sayeed met Singh on Thursday and said the discussions would continue on his demands.
Sayeed said the level of violence in Kashmir had fallen since India and Pakistan had launched a peace process in 2004, and therefore, some troops should go back.Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in his "four point formula" has proposed the demilitarisation of Kashmir as a step towards a final solution to the Kashmir dispute.
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