Make Centre's 'sustained dialogue' successful, Mehbooba tells

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today asked the state police to play a positive role in ensuring that the Centre's initiative of holding a "sustained dialogue" through its newly-appointed interlocutor was a success.
Addressing a gathering at the passing out parade of 696 constables from the Police Training School here, she said the police played a crucial role in creating a suitable atmosphere for the talks.
The Centre on Monday appointed former IB chief Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative for a "sustained dialogue" with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.
The police, the chief minister said, had a most important role in making this "reconciliation programme" successful.

"You will fight militancy and militants, but if you have to end militancy, you will have to play a very positive role in Jammu and Kashmirs situation," she said.
She said the prime minister had taken a huge step by not only appointing an interlocutor but also giving him the rank of a cabinet secretary, which had not happened so far.
"Several interlocutors came here and started a dialogue process, but the government never gave any one this rank and position...they (government) want to take the people of Jammu and Kashmir out of this morass and that is why the doors have been opened up for talks," she said.

However, it may be mentioned that then deputy chairman of Planning Commission K C Pant, who was the first interlocutor on Kashmir appointed by the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government, had the rank of a cabinet minister.