New Delhi, December 14
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has favoured a step-by-step approach towards holding talks with separatist groups in the valley. The Chief Minister, who was in the capital, said in an informal chat that there was no timeframe for holding parleys with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference.
He said a step taken had to be consolidated before moving to the next. Others could also join the talks but preference would be given to those who were receptive to the offer, he said.
He evaded a direct reply to a question whether the other faction of the Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani would also be invited for the talks.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chief Minister had urged him to scale down travel restrictions on people visiting India from Pakistan.
“Pakistanis are fed on all
kinds of propaganda about Kashmir. Let them come here and see the place for themselves,” he said today.
Mr Sayeed said in the event of Mr Vajpayee holding bilateral talks with Pakistani leadership during his visit to Pakistan for the SAARC summit, issues including enhancing people-to-people contact, consolidation of ongoing ceasefire, Tulbul barrage and Bagliyar power project could be taken up.
The focus of the summit would be eradication of terrorism from civil society as people in the sub-continent wanted to breathe in a fearless atmosphere, he added. Asked if any bilateral talks would take place, the Chief Minister said he had urged the Prime Minister to first consolidate the ceasefire.
On the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus service, Mr Sayeed said he had requested the Prime Minister to make Uri in north Kashmir and not Srinagar the starting point of the Golden Quadilateral National Highway Scheme.
Referring to the Prime Ministers’ package for Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said as many as 50,000 jobs had been provided to youths in the state.
He said an all-party delegation of MLAs from the state be allowed to visit Islamabad and occupied Kashmir (PoK) on a goodwill mission.
The Chief Minister said since the ceasefire had begun and it was only logical that official patronage should be provided to such contacts.
He said the Centre had approved an action plan to rehabilitate displaced Kashmiri
Pandits.
