Mehbooba calls on PM, discusses PDP's self-rule proposal

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed the broader contours of her party's self-rule proposal.

Giving details of various aspects of the self-rule document, she told Dr Singh that it encompassed practical proposals for the resolution of the political, economic, internal and external dimensions of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

This could constitute the fundamentals of a comprehensive resolution package in tune with the global and ground realities, the PDP chief added.

She said her party's self-rule proposal offers an inclusive solution that not only adequately accommodates the just concerns of all the regions and sub-regions of the state, but that of India and Pakistan as well.

Calling for tangible action on his recent assertion of making Jammu and Kashmir a bridge of cooperation between India and Pakistan, Ms Mufti told the Prime Minister that the people of the state have huge stakes in the consolidation and success of the peace and reconciliation process ''They should not feel let down. There are various quarters who are trying tooth and nail to sabotage the confidence building process in Jammu and Kashmir, but the country's political leadership has the onerous responsibility of vetoing the designs of the vested interests and give the much-needed final push to the peace process,'' she told Dr Singh.

Ms Mufti said there should be simultaneous movement forward on the internal and cross-LoC confidence building measures to consolidate the gains of the peace process.

''While on the internal front, implementation of the recommendations of the Working Groups should be speeded up, on the external front there should be tangible movement forward on resumption of unhindered movement of people and goods through all the traditional cross-LoC routes,'' she said adding that only then could the peace process show the desired results.

The PDP President also took up with the Prime Minister the issue of withdrawal of incentives to industry in Jammu and Kashmir and sought his intervention in their continuation as the Centre's decision in this regard had set a great blow to the budding industrial sector in the state.

The Prime Minister, on his part, assured Ms Mufti that the central government would work with renewed focus towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Working Groups.

He also said the issue of increased cross-LoC cooperation through exchange of ideas and goods besides greater people-to-people contact would remain central to the discussions with Pakistan during the coming Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries.

Dr Singh also assured to look into the matter of the withdrawal of incentives to the industry in Jammu and Kashmir.

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