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| Efforts to settle security concerns | | |
ABID SHAH
NEW DELHI, DEC 7: Clearly rattled by the blow suffered by the peace process in the wake of the recent attack on a senior Hurriyat leader at Srinagar, the Chief Minister Omar Abdulllah called on today the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram here and discussed the situation thrown up by the attack on Fazal Haq Qureshi by unknown assailants.
Today’s meeting between Chief Minister and Union Home Minister signifies heightened concern among the powers-that-be vis-à-vis the security of votaries of peace through talks in Jammu and Kashmir with the Centre. Qureshi has been among such Samaritans from separatist Hurriyat ranks whose moves have obviously been attempted to be scuttled by forces that are inimical to the resolution of Kashmir tangle.
Their latest step that unfolded through attempt to assassinate Qureshi last week brought today Omar and Chidambarm together. The two leaders assessed threat from hard core militant sections who as per Government claims have been out to snuff out the peace initiatives in utter disregard to the real interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who cut across the borders of India and Pakistan.
One fall out of this may well be slowing down the process of withdrawal of security forces deployed throughout the troubled State. This is what Omar has indicated after his today’s meeting with Chidambaram. Earlier, the Centre had drawn a plan to withdraw over two dozen battalions of paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir besides reducing the numbers of Armymen deployed in the State. Yet after today’s meeting with the Union Home Minister Omar said that this has to be correlated with the kind of threat faced by the State and its citizens.
Thus, the goodwill that both the State and Union Governments have been trying to earn and evoke in the hearts and minds of the people of the embattled border province through troops reduction and other measures like releasing some of the Valley’s area from use of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) may now be put on hold. This provides virtual impunity to men in uniform in case they are accused of unjust use of force against innocent civilians and, thus, has been a major bone of contention between the Central and State Governments on the one hand and the civil society on the other.
The two leaders today tried to find ways and means to kick start the peace process through what they call as quiet diplomacy again since this has come to an abrupt pause after the attack on Qureshi.
Yet their main concern has been the security of key Hurriyat players, particularly their continuing reluctance to keep armed State police to guard them round the clock. This has led to the assault on Qureshi. Yet some of his cohorts still do not agree to have security given by the State, lamented Omar after his meeting with Union Home Minister.
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