The Hindu : J&K and Centre will jointly fight enemies of peace: Mufti

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 03, 2003

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J&K and Centre will jointly fight enemies of peace: Mufti

By Our Special Correspondent

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: V. Sudershan .

NEW DELHI APRIL 2. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, rounded off his meetings here on the State's security concerns and development prospects with a one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee.

During the 40-minute interaction, described as a "courtesy call" by the Prime Minister's Office, Mr. Sayeed briefed Mr. Vajpayee on the situation in the State and found him receptive to the efforts that his Government was making to prevent another exodus of the minority Pandits after the Nadimarg massacre.

Mr. Sayeed later told presspersons that the meeting was "useful". Asked whether they had discussed his Government's "healing touch" philosophy, he said: "Can any Government be opposed to this philosophy? It deals with the problem of corruption, providing good governance to the people, creating job opportunities, removing regional injustices and healing the wounds of people who are victims of militancy". He added: "I believe the Prime Minister agrees with this".

Mr. Sayeed said the yearning for peace in the State had strengthened and that his Government was resolved to continue with its policies to achieve peace, addressing the "internal dimension" of the situation. The Centre and the State, he said, would jointly deal with the "enemies of peace".

He also apprised the Prime Minister of the development agenda and returned satisfied about his "keen interest" in the mega projects envisaged, such as the construction of a superhighway project and the extension of the railway to the Kashmir Valley. Officials said he impressed on the Prime Minister the need to monitor the execution of such projects so that they were completed on time.

Mr. Sayeed also met the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, K.C. Pant, who, at the conclusion of the hour-and-a-half-long meeting said, "there is a perceptible change in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and we will see to it that development programme in the State is expedited, and the four-lane north-south highway and railway projects are completed on time".

Mr. Pant also said there had been a remarkable improvement in Ladakh, Kargil and Kashmir and that, he and Mr. Sayeed discussed issues relating to "removing impediments" in the way of implementation of the development packages for these areas.

Hurriyat calls for dialogue

PTI reports from Srinagar:

The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today made fresh calls for a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue and accused the Centre of following a hardline policy on the subject.

"It is in the interest of the people of India, Pakistan and Kashmir that a meaningful, result-oriented and fruitful dialogue be initiated to resolve the Kashmir issue," an APHC spokesman said after a meeting of its seven-member executive council here.

He alleged that the hardline policy was adopted at a recent meeting convened by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, in New Delhi to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and said that "hardline policies failed to deliver in the past nor will it prove fruitful in future. We have been facing hardline policies for a long time".

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