Mufti wants troops reduction process to commence

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) Ahead of the crucial talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow, PDP patron and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the Centre must at least initiate the process of troop reduction in the state if the complete withdrawal of forces was not possible at present.

''Troop reduction is important as the ground situation in the state has improved in the past four years and this is reflected by the government's move to replace BSF by the CRPF,'' Mr Sayeed, who arrived here from Jammu today, said.

''I can not wait till the summer for troop reduction.....

each day counts,'' he added.

The PDP-- the junior ally in the coalition -- has threatened to pull out if its demands-- of troop reduction, repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and vacation of agricultural and horticultural land and civilian buildings by the security forces-- were not met.

Admitting that this was the ''most serious crisis'' facing the 54-month-old coalition in the state, Mr Sayeed said the PDP did not want to make a ''political issue'' out of its demands.

Before leaving for New Delhi, Mr Sayeed held discussions with senior party officials in Jammu.

Sharp differences emerged within the Congress-led coalition in the state over the demands which deepened further after Dr Singh, in a letter on March 14, rejected the PDP's demands.

On March 18, Dr Singh telephoned Mr Sayeed and invited him for talks here.

The PDP has called a meeting of its political affairs committee in Srinagar on March 25 to decide on withdrawing from the coalition.

PDP has stayed away from the last three State Cabinet meetings as a mark of protest Earlier, Dr Singh and Mr Sayeed had exchanged letters on the issue. On March 5, the former chief minister had turned down the Prime Minister's invitation for talks on health grounds and instead written to Dr Singh.

In response, the Prime Minister had said the demand for immediate troop reduction and repeal of AFSPA was unacceptable, though he had agreed to troops vacating civilian properties in a phased manner. Dr Singh had also promised that the centre could review troop reduction proposal in the summer, depending on the scale of violence.

UNI