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| Mufti: Self rule is way forward | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Jan 20
After getting some consolation on demilitarization, the Peoples Democratic Party has now come afresh with the self rule campaign which has been lying cold since last year.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public meeting at Marh today, the PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said that his party will continue to campaign for self rule proposal as a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. He said while demanding more powers from the center, the party is carefully devising a strategy to empower the people at the ground levels with districts as units of administration.
Earlier addressing the public meeting, Mufti said that the follow up on the recommendations of the Working Groups constituted by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should be speeded up, Sayeed pointed out that the recommendations contain very crucial elements to rebuild confidence between the State and the Center and put Kashmir firmly on the road to solving its political, economic and social problems. He said the recommendations cover a wide swathe of issues facing the State in the aftermath of two decade long turbulence and destruction and their implementation would have a definite positive impact on the fast-changing ground situation. "The Government of India shall have to move fast on implementation of these recommendations," he said.
Reiterating that the withdrawal of special powers to the security forces and reduction in the strength of troops are unavoidable measures to provide the State a free space to assert itself and harness its full potential in intellectual and material fields, Sayeed said one of the Working Groups has specifically recommended scrapping of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). "It is time that these recommendations are implemented in letter and spirit," he said and cautioned that any delay could once again infuse despair and frustration among the people.
Sayeed pointed out that though vacating civilian institutions as a first step to reduction in troop strength was a welcome measure, the process, unfortunately, was yet to be completed. "Though the November 30 deadline was achieved in many cases but there are still instances where the security forces are yet to be shifted from schools and hospitals," he said and stressed the need to fully accomplishing the pledge.
"For a lasting solution of the State's problems, the Government of India must undertake, with courage and wisdom, substantial political and economic measures that meet the reasonable aspirations of the people in all the regions of the State," he said. |
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