New Delhi, Aug. 6: The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has called a meeting of parties from Jammu and Kashmir on next Tuesday to discuss the current situation in the Valley and ways to address it. The PM is expected to seek views of the parties of the state on ways to restore peace in the Valley.
The home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, told Rajya Sabha that Dr Singh would be receiving the delegation from Jammu and Kashmir as there have been demands in this regard.
PMO sources said that Dr Singh would meet the delegation on August 10. There have been demands from various sections of Jammu and Kashmir that the PM should call all parties of the state for deliberations.
The J&K Chief Minister, Mr Omar Abdullah, had called an all-party meeting last month but Opposition PDP refused to attend. Its chief, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, said the meeting should instead be called by the PM. The Centre on Friday offered a dialogue with all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and asked the separatists, including the hardline leader, Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani, to join it.
Mr Chidambaram said “lessons have been learnt’’ and the state government is reaching out to people. He said if there is even one civilian death, it will diminish the credibility of the governance.
Reacting to the BJP’s charge that there are differences within the ruling coalition in J&K, the home minister said that there is bound to be an “intense debate’’ in a coalition government. He said that the endeavour is to deliver on the promises made to the people of J&K, including a review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and reduction of security personnel in the state, depending on the situation there.