PM offers olive branch to militants in PoK willing to return

Srinagar, May 24 (UNI) In one of the biggest initiatives aimed at restoring permanent peace in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the Valley's youth who had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for arms training can return and asserted that the cases of detainees will soon be reviewed.

''In the light of changing situation and environment, we are reviewing the cases of all the detainees,'' the Prime Minister said in his opening remarks at the second roundtable on Kashmir here.

''Included in this is a review of the cases of those who crossed over (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) after violating our laws and are now anxious to come home,'' he added.

Presenting a paper at the round-table, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami urged both India and Pakistan to facilitate the return of thousands of misguided youths who crossed the LoC for arms training and were now willing to return and join the mainstream.

''Both India and Pakistan should facilitate the return of youth who crossed the LoC during the turmoil and now want to live a peaceful life,'' he added.

Mr Tarigami had earlier moved a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in this regard, but the same was defeated.

The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party had also urged for the early return of these disgruntled youth from PoK.

The Prime Minister also said that internal security was receiving continuous attention. ''I would also like to mention that security forces are here to protect the people and their stay here is based on this,'' he added.

Dr Singh said there were two dimensions to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir. ''One is the relationship between Delhi and Srinagar and the other is between Delhi and Islamabad. These two dimensions are of course different but each affects the other,'' he added.

The Prime Minister said it was the government's effort and desire to see that there should be prosperity on both sides of the LoC.

''For this, we wish that those new highways which are opening up between the two areas on both sides should be used not only for travel or tourism, but also for trade and commerce,'' he added.

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