By News Agency of Kashmir
New Delhi : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Government of India to facilitate safe return of the youth and the political leaders who had gone across during turmoil and are now eager to return back and live peacefully with their families.
Raising the issue at a meeting with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh here last evening, PDP President Ms Mehbooba Mufti said any relief to the youth who had gone across for arms training and are now eager to return back and live normal lives, should be extended to the non-combatants as well who had gone across during the turmoil, under whatever circumstances. “It will be a significant goodwill gesture and a reconciliatory move of great essence on behalf of the Government of India,” she said.
Ms Mufti told the Prime Minister that given the fast-changing equations in the sub-continent, fresh initiatives must be taken to bring various shades of the State’s political opinion on board to work-out a broad-based consensus for the peaceful resolution of the issue. “The Government of India will be well-devised to realize this historical opportunity and expressively involve Hurriyat Conference and other political groups in meaningful deliberations for realistic and just resolution of the problem,” she said.
The PDP President said while the political instability in Pakistan has temporarily impacted the bilateral confidence building process, the Government of India must meanwhile, move ahead with added resolve, to address the internal dimensions of the problem. “Implementation of the recommendations of the Working Groups, pertaining to the intra-State issues, could set the foundations for the reconciliation and resolution process,” she said and added that with considerable improvement in the situation, the Government must now start pruning the strength of troops deployed for anti-militancy operations and act with political resolve on the recommendations of one of the Working Groups for scrapping the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). “Such measures have now become unavoidable,” she said.
The PDP President said the measures like rehabilitation of the victims of violence – irrespective of their affiliation, easing restrictions on the cross-LoC movement of people and goods and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrant Pandits mark a welcome beginning that would further consolidate the constituency for peace.
Ms Mufti discussed in detail the political scenario and the State’s developmental issues with the Prime Minister. The functioning of the Coalition Government in the State also figured prominently in the deliberations of the PDP President with Dr Singh.