Jammu, November 5
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has urged the Centre to initiate “unconditional” dialogue with representatives of people of all shades of opinion to resolve the turmoil in Kashmir and has announced that all political prisoners will be released gradually to create an atmosphere of goodwill and win over the misguided people to the main streams.
The Mufti was addressing newspersons on the opening of the secretariat in the winter capital of the state here today.
He said there should be consensus on dealing with the situation and the Hurriyat leaders like Mr Ali Shah Geelani, lodged in a jail at Ranchi were not untouchables and they should be released from the prison as they were not carrying the gun. Even in the past Mr Abdul Gani Lone, assassinated recently was released and Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, himself announced ceasefire in the month of Ramzan to create an atmosphere of goodwill.
He said he had always been insisting on a dialogue to win over the people who were misled. Any move in the direction of normalisation of the solution should be respected and reciprocated. Harsh measures cannot bring militancy to an end and the socio-economic problems of the people shall have to be tackled effectively.
The Mufti said, We will make things easy for the restoration of normalcy and being elected representatives the Centre should also talk to us and other sections”. Mr Vajpayee assured whole-hearted support to Jammu and Kashmir when he talked to the Mufti yesterday on telephone before leaving on a foreign tour.
The Mufti said the effort of his coalition government would be to create an the atmosphere conducive for the restoration of peace with dignity.
He said an opportunity has been provided to the country and Jammu and Kashmir
to
resolve the Kashmir problem following free and fair Assembly elections appreciated world wide. We should not allow the opportunity to go out of our hands, the Mufti stressed.He said “dialogue” was his guiding principle and his government would go to the root cause of the malaise to undo injustice to any of the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir valley and Ladakh. The Hill Council of Ladakh would will be given all powers so far been denied to it, he added.
The Mufti said expectations of the people were very high from his government and there was no magic wand to meet all these without cooperation of the masses.
He said he had provided a decent alternative to the National Conference even when he was in the Congress and the coalition had vindicated his stand. He regretted that a section of the press did not project ground realities of the election even when the National Conference was losing the election.
He said the state government would seek a short-term economic package from the Centre with separate allocation for the residents of the border areas who suffered whenever there was tension on the border.
He said a Bill would be introduced to set up an institution of Lokayukta to probe complaints against even the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and senior officers.
He ruled out victimisation of officers because of connections with the previous NC Government Officers will be accountable for their conduct.
