news details |
|
|
| All party meet in New Delhi today | | | Early Times Reporter
New Delhi/Jammu | Aug 12
With situation literally going out of control in almost all parts of Jammu and Kashmir, except Ladakh, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has called an all party meeting in New Delhi tomorrow to devise a strategy for restoration of peace. Members of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti have been finally invited by the Prime Minister for the talks.
First time in history of Jammu and Kashmir, a majority of the administrative units of the state are simultaneously under curfew and people are still not holding back. Out of 22 total districts of the state, curfew has been imposed in 18 districts. The only exceptions are Leh, Kargil, Ramban and Reasi. Though curfew was lifted from Bhaderwah township of Doda district but security forces and the Army are still on the standby as tension may re-erupt any time.
Situation a situation has erupted in the state first time in past five decades even entire Kashmir Valley today came under curfew after 13 years.
Worried over the situation, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a second all-party meeting on Wednesday to try to hammer out a viable consensus formula that could be acceptable to both Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.
An all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil that carried an on-the-spot assessment after visiting both Jammu and Srinagar over the weekend failed to arrive at an agreement on finding a compromise solution to the crisis.
“The leaders met again on Tuesday but could not arrive at a workable formula or solution that would appease the people,” said a senior government functionary.
In the last meeting Aug 5, the prime minister appealed for calm and decided to send a delegation to the troubled state.
During its trip, the delegation held talks with the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, which has been spearheading the agitation in Jammu to press for restoration of the land transfer to the Amarnath shrine board - a demand fiercely opposed by the Kashmir leaders - besides holding parleys with the leaders of the valley.
For the last two months, both regions have been locked in unparalleled strife along communal lines over the transfer and subsequent revoking of about 40 hectares of land in north Kashmir to the Amarnath board for setting up temporary shelters for pilgrims.
Meanwhile, with no solution in sight, the Centre continued to grapple with the Amarnath land row as leaders of the all-party delegation failed to hammer out any formula to resolve the controversy.
The meeting chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil saw leaders from various political parties airing different views for over three hours, delaying a consensus on the vexed issue, sources said.
The initial part of the meeting was devoted to recent developments in the Kashmir valley where ten people, including a separatist leader Abdul Aziz Sheikh, were killed in police firing while taking out a march to Muzzafarabad.
The leaders attending Tuesday's meet made a strong demand for inviting leaders of the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS), spreadheading the agitation in Jammu, to the negotiation table.
A similar exercise on Monday had failed to hammer out a solution. The meeting was a prelude to another all-party meeting which is likely to be convened Wednesday by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
At the meeting, BJP leader Arun Jaitley again demanded implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court's order on the Amarnath issue. Jaitley and former state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah left the meeting mid-way. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
