The Hindu : National : Manmohan's initiatives lauded

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Saturday, May 27, 2006

National

National

Manmohan's initiatives lauded

Shujaat Bukhari

Look at Kashmir beyond Centre-State ties: Mehbooba

"The confidence can be restored by respecting the legislature... we all have to put our heads together to strengthen the State as a single unit"

SRINAGAR: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday hailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's initiatives on Jammu and Kashmir announced at the second round table conference.

Talking to reporters here Ms. Mufti said Dr. Singh had walked an extra mile by identifying the areas which needed to be addressed. "The internal dimension is as important as the external," she said adding that the five working groups to be constituted had the great responsibility of working out the details.

She said her party had a reason to be happy with the Prime Minister's initiatives as "we had committed to the people that we will pursue the issue of rehabilitating the destitute families of militants as also work towards the return of youth who are stuck in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."

Ms. Mufti suggested that the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir should be elected and could be from any region of the State. "Governors here are not apolitical." She said that to restore the confidence of the people, it was important that the legislature be taken seriously.

"We have to start treating Jammu and Kashmir beyond Centre-State relations," she said, adding that the legislature in the State had been undermined in the past. She referred to the autonomy resolution passed by the Assembly in 2000 and summarily rejected by the Government of India. "The confidence can be restored by respecting the legislature." She stressed the need to address the inter-regional issues and said: "We all have to put our heads together to strengthen the State as a single unit."

Trade across LoC

The PDP president called for a consultative mechanism to boost trade across the Line of Control. She said the people of the two parts of Kashmir have many things in common. "At least we can start with the setting up of regional committees which would deal with environment, disaster management and calamity issues. At least the people of Baramulla have similar problems," she said, adding that "we can we have a uniform policy and that is a good start."

Reiterating her party's demand for self-rule and demilitarisation, she said: "We are not saying something out of the blue. Those who opposed us on this had no argument except that we speak Musharraf's language. We have proposed self-rule for all the parts of Kashmir whether here or across and this will boost the regional confidence."

Ms. Mufti said her party would pursue its agenda.

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