PDP President demands trooips reducatioin in valley

New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) Urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take some Jammu and Kashmir specific Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti demanded reduction of troops from the internal security and handing over the responsiblity to the state police.

In her 30 minute meeting with Dr Singh, Ms Mufti besides discussing the overall situation in the state, in the wake of recent developments, stressed the need for carrying forward the peace process with a focus on Jammu and Kashmir specific CBMs.

Hailing the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for taking bold initiatives including opening of cross LoC road links and constituting working groups on Kashmir to take care of the internal dimensions of the problems, Ms Mufti stressed the need for working towards permanent and amicable settlement of the Kashmir problem, which she said is possible through spirited efforts propelled by fresh confidence building measures.

Ms Mufti said while the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote roads have facilitate much awaited reunion of the divided families, utility of these road links need to be extended to movement of goods to boost the cross LoC trade.

She said both the countries must pursue such CBMs with sincerity and in a time bound manner so that in the economic development, the region as a whole and both parts of Kashmir could move together, as has been the stand of the Prime Minister.

Acknowledging that the UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh were working with commitment and sincereity towards achieving the objective of peace and prosperity for Jammu and Kashmir, Ms Mufti said the Pakistani leadership also must reciprocate it by helping create a conducive atmosphere for making the peace process fruitful and result oriented.

She said without giving in to the acts of the saboteurs and hawkish rhetoric of the negative elements, both the countries must pursue the peace process with steadfastness in the larger interest of their people.

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