NEW DELHI: The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the National Security Adviser, M.K. Narayanan, held another round of discussion on Friday on the People Democratic Party's demand for reduction/withdrawal of troops from the State.

Mr. Sayeed has had one round of inconclusive discussion with the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday and it was agreed that the former Chief Minister would continue the discussion with Mr. M.K. Narayanan.

Time-bound committee

On Friday, Mr. Sayeed and Mr. Narayanan are reported to have talked about the usefulness of constituting a time-bound committee to examine the feasibility of troops reduction, as also of the feasibility of withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from certain districts.

The former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader, Muzzafar Beg, also met the Prime Minister on Friday and is believed to have discussed the PDP demand.

According to the PDP sources the party would be satisfied with a committee formula if it was designed to yield result rather than postpone the decision.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister twice, on Friday, spelled out parameters within which the government would consider the PDP demand.

He made it clear that in the matter of troops reduction/withdrawal the Army advice would be critical.

"Let me say unambiguously that professional advice, wherever relevant, will be given full scope. There is no question of marginalising professional advice. That misunderstanding or misapprehension has no basis," the Prime Minister told an interlocutor at a conclave organised by the India Today.

"We are in the process of discussing this matter with Mufti Saheb. He had come at my invitation. I would not like to conduct a dialogue with him through the media or through public fora. It is not proper for me getting into any such discussion on the subject," said the Prime Minister.

Later in the evening, on the sidelines of a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Prime Minister told the reporters that the strength of the troops depended on the level of threat perceptions. "I have said repeatedly that the force level will correspond to threat perception and security assessment. As and when the situation improves, we will ourselves take steps to effect proper reduction," said Dr. Singh.

"Not an army of occupation"

The Prime Minister also added that "our forces are not an army of occupation. They are there to protect the life and liberty of the citizens. As and when the necessity disappears, we will bring about reduction in forces."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail