By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Jammu & Kashmir has urged the Government of India to facilitate safe return of the youth and political leaders who had gone to the other side of the LoC during turmoil and are now eager to return and live peacefully with their families here in Jammu & Kashmir.
Raising the issue at a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said any relief to the youth who had gone there for and are now eager to return and live normal lives, should be extended to the non-combatants as well who had gone there in the same period. “It will be a significant goodwill gesture and a reconciliatory move,” she said.
Mufti told the prime minister that fresh initiatives must be taken to bring various shades of the state’s political opinion on board to workout a broad-based consensus for the peaceful resolution of the issue. The central government should realize this historical opportunity and involve all political and non-political groups including Hurriyat Conference in meaningful deliberations for realistic and justified resolution of the problem, she said.
Given considerable improvement in the situation, the Government must now start downsizing the presence of troops deployed for anti-militancy operations, she said.
The PDP president said the measures like rehabilitation of the victims of violence – irrespective of their affiliation, easing restrictions on the movement of people and goods across LoC and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrant pundits mark a welcome beginning for a lasting peace in the region.