Mirwaiz Farooq rejects Manmohan Singh's plan to create more jobs

Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has rejected the economic and employment package recently announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"We don''t want economic packages, we don''t want jobs, we don''t want incentives, we don''t want autonomy, we want freedom," said Mirwaiz Farooq, addressing a gathering here on Friday.

"We want to tell the government that the youth here didn''t give their lives for jobs, didn''t give their lives for economic packages, they didn''t give their lives to come into the mainstream of India, the youth gave their lives only for freedom," he added.

He said that the talks won''t be successful unless the four point formula proposed by the Hurriyat is adopted by India, which include the demilitarization and revocations of the Armed Force Special Powers Act.

The Kashmir problem either has to be addressed as per the UN resolutions or one can grant people the right to self-determination in a phased manner," he added.

At least four persons were killed and several others injured in firing by security forces in Kupwara and Baramulla Districts on Friday.

According to sources, the forces opened fire to disperse protesters at Tergham in Kupwara. After the incident, tension has gripped the entire area.

A curfew was initially imposed on June 30 in parts of northern and southern Kashmir to stop demonstrations over a couple of protesters who died in police firing.

It was lifted some days later, but was again imposed as fresh violence erupted.

The valley is witnessing a surge of violence that has led the authorities to impose frequent curfew restrictions in several parts of Kashmir.

With this death, the death toll in violence touched 55 since June