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| Modi Govt unlikely to announce ceasefire | | PDP in for a shock | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 12: The Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government continues to bat for a unilateral ceasefire with terrorist outfits in Kashmir and along the international border and Line of Control with Pakistan during the month of Ramzan. This, notwithstanding the J&K BJP's no to the proposal.
Reports emanating from PMO and Union Home Ministry suggest that the BJP-led NDA Government is unlikely to accept the proposal, particularly with regard to "internal operations". Report also suggest that the "security forces, in particular, have conveyed their opposition to the move".
"There is a demand; the issue is at the deliberation stage, but no final decision has been taken in this regard by the centre. The issue of whether the ceasefire would be extended within the valley or be enforced more strictly at the border and LoC is yet to be decided. A decision is expected within next couple of days," a senior official was quoted as saying in New Delhi.
"A ceasefire is already in force on the international border and the line of control (LoC), the de-facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied-Jammu & Kashmir," he also reportedly said, adding that "there have been constant violations of the ceasefire agreement".
"The situation in the valley is difficult. We cannot just declare a unilateral ceasefire," another official in New Delhi, who is familiar with the development, said.
Yet another report from New Delhi has said: "Officials in the Union Home Ministry, Army, and Jammu & Kashmir police said an internal ceasefire is laden with risks, while the enforcement of a ceasefire with Pakistan is contingent on the latter's behaviour". "The army and local police believe the move could be counter-productive," the report said.
Counter-terror operation experts have also reportedly opposed the unilateral ceasefire suggestion. They have opined that "unilateral ceasefire could give terror outfits an opportunity to regroup at a time the force has an upper hand in the valley", that "the army has had a string of successes in eliminating hard-core terrorists in recent weeks" and that "the terror outfits are on the back foot and we can't squander that advantage".
They say that a similar "experiment announced by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2000 was a failure" and "a unilateral ceasefire could give terror outfits breathing space". "It could prove to be a good window for carrying out recruitments. If a ceasefire has to be there, it has to be called and respected by all stakeholders, including terror groups," an army officer was quoted as saying.
Not just this, another senior government functionary has concurred and said that "there was a major terror attack at the Srinagar airport during the period of the first ceasefire and any such announcement would be construed as a 'weakness'. Many still recall that terrorists roamed freely in this period. Is there any guarantee that the situation would not repeat itself?"
The fact of the matter is that there is hardly any person in New Delhi who is supportive of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's suggestion.
In the meantime, many law-makers have come out with a statement that the issue of unilateral ceasefire was not discussed at the all-party meeting and that only one MLA, Engineer Rashid, had raked up the issue on May 9, but there was no discussion. Those who - apart from Dy CM Kavinder Gupta and J&K BJP -- contested the claim include NC's Choudhary Ramzan and CPI-M lawmaker Mohd Yousuf Tarigami.
However, the government spokesperson, PDP leader and minister in the Mehbooba Mufti government, Naeem Akhtar, continues to insist that the issue of unilateral ceasefire was raised during the meeting. "It came up for discussion. Besides, the Chief Minister has the right to channelize the feelings of people," he has been quoted as saying. |
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