news details |
|
|
| New Delhi redrawing dialogue structure | | PM holds parleys with Azad, Mufti to renew peace process | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Mar 3
Far from what their official spokesman have been trying to sell, the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his predecessor Mufti Mohammad Sayeed are engaged in a larger political gamut in New Delhi.
Barely two days after the Chief Minister had a meeting with Prime Minister in New Delhi that the former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed met Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Interestingly Mufti met the Prime Minister when the Chief Minister Azad had reached back in the winter capital.
Political observers are of the opinion that Prime Minister is meeting the top J&K coalition leaders to chalk out the strategy for renewing the peace process. These meetings assume significance as discussions are being held immediately after the Pakistan elections and it is believed that revival of peace process is being discussed.
According to a party spokesman, in his 45-minute long meeting with the Prime Minister, Mufti has reiterated the inevitability of stepping up and expanding the Indo-Pak peace process for finding substantial solution to the problems of Jammu & Kashmir by addressing the legitimate aspirations of its people.
Mufti, the spokesman said, made it clear that the turn-around in the State's political and security situation should not be misconstrued as an indication of the problem having disappeared without addressing it. "We should not mislead ourselves about brushing the issue under the carpet as was done on earlier occasions," he said and added that with the stabilization of the political situation in Pakistan, both the countries must now commit themselves with political will to address all the dimensions of the problem in a manner that balances and promotes enduring political and economic stability in the region.
Expressing satisfaction over the commanding resurgence of democratic institutions in Pakistan, Sayeed said the emerging positive political scenario in that country has offered an opportunity to amicably settle the external dimensions of the issue with the new dispensation for which strong foundations have already been laid through various confidence building measures. "The ongoing peace process between the two countries has reached a critical and positive stage and this historical opportunity must now translate into concrete measures for the betterment of the people in Jammu & Kashmir who have suffered immensely because of the hostility in the region," he said and added that the opening of cross-LoC road links must now move beyond the divided families and all the traditional cross-border routes in Jammu & Kashmir must be thrown open for free movement of people and goods.
Stressing the need for simultaneously speeding up the process of addressing the internal dimensions of the problem, Sayeed said the recommendations of the Working Groups have already provided a frame-work for resolving the problems of the people in all the regions and sub-regions of the State through various confidence building measures. "To further reach out to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, these recommendations shall have to be implemented at the earliest in letter and spirit," he said and added that the measures like rehabilitation of the victims of violence irrespective of their affiliation and safe passage to the boys who had gone across for arms training and are now willing to return and live peaceful lives would have significant positive impact on the evolving situation. He said the Government of India must also take measures for shifting back to the State, all the Kashmiri detenues lodged in various jails outside.
Expressing dismay over the recurrent incidents of harassment and arrest of Kashmiri students in various parts of the country, Sayeed sought the Prime Minister's intervention for putting in place a mechanism so that no innocent student or businessman is put to any unnecessary trouble on security reasons. "In most of the cases such victims later turn-out to be innocents," he said and added that action must be taken against the police and security agencies in these states for falsely implicating and ruining the careers of these innocent Kashmiri students who have left their homes in pursuit of their studies. "To seek promotions and awards, the police and security agencies should not be allowed to ruin the careers of the innocent students in these states," he said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
