J&K parties for halting security operations during Ramadan, Amarnath Yatra

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who chaired an all-party meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the state, said the Central government would be approached with a request to halt security force operations during the forthcoming holy Muslim month of Ramadan and the ensuing Amarnath Yatra.

The meeting was here to work out a consensus among political parties as to what should be the best course of action to defuse the prevailing tension in Kashmir.

Briefing media persons afterwards, Mehbooba Mufti said all political parties participated in the meeting and everybody was concerned about the present situation.

"One good thing that happened today was that every party wanted the implementation of the agenda of alliance between the PDP and the BJP which is a visionary document detailing the best way to address the problems here," she said, adding that it was agreed that it was agreed that an all-party delegation would be formed after working out modalities with principal opposition party, the National Conference.

"The delegation would approach the Prime Minister to appeal him to consider the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire as was done in 2002 during the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the approaching holy month of Ramadan, Eid festival and the Amarnath Yatra," she said.

The delegation would also request the Prime Minister to work out th e ways and means to reach out to the people, especially the youth, here, said the Chief Minister.

Ramadan begins on May 17 this year.

In addition to ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the meeting was attended by leaders of the National Conference, the Congress, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, and some independent MLAs.

National Conference leader Ali Muhammad Sagar told reporters that his party has assured the government that whatever concrete steps it takes to defuse the present vo latile situation in the state would be supported by them.

--IANS

sq/vd