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'Troops reduction in JK depends on threat perception'
New
Delhi,
Mar
23:
Prime
Minister
Manmohan
Singh
today
said
the
level
of
forces
deployed
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir
would
depend
on
''threat
perceptions
and
security
assessment''
and
that
he
was
hopeful
of
resolving
the
differences
with
the
PDP,
the
coalition
partner
of
the
Congress-led
government
in
that
state.
As
and
when
the
situation
improved,
''we
will
ourselves
take
steps
for
proper
reduction
of
troops,''
Dr
Singh
told
reporters
who
wanted
to
know
whether
he
had
given
any
assurance
to
former
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Chief
Minister
Mufti
Mohammed
Sayeed
during
the
talks
here
yesterday.
''Our
forces
are
not
an
army
of
occupied
forces.
They
are
there
to
protect
the
lives
and
liberty
of
the
people.
When
the
necessity
disappears,
we
will
bring
about
the
reduction
in
forces.
These
are
not
static
levels.
If
the
security
situation
improves,
we
will
review
the
matter,''
he
said.
The
Prime
Minister
said
he
was
hopeful
of
bringing
about
''harmony
and
reconciliation''
between
the
Congress
and
the
PDP
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir
as
he
found
that
all
leaders
were
patriots.
''They
may
have
differences
in
perception,
but
their
objective
is
the
same''
--
to
ensure
that
people
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir
lead
a
life
of
dignity
and
peace.
Asked
about
his
proposed
visit
to
Pakistan,
he
said
he
had
accepted
the
invitation
of
President
Pervez
Musharraf,
but
the
dates
were
yet
to
be
finalised.
On
the
coming
14th
summit
of
the
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation
(SAARC),
he
said
India
would
seek
to
promote
the
collective
prosperity
of
the
region
through
a
sense
of
inter-dependence.
About
the
NDA's
demand
that
President
A
P
J
Abdul
Kalam
visit
Nandigram,
the
scene
of
violence
in
West
Bengal
over
acquisition
of
farm
land
for
setting
up
a
industrial
hub,
he
said
this
was
a
free
country
and
everybody
had
a
right
to
make
suggestions.
To
a
query
on
J
and
K
Chief
Minister
Ghulam
Nabi
Azad's
statement
that
cross-border
infiltration
had
doubled
of
late,
he
said
the
Centre
was
keeping
a
close
watch
on
the
situation.
Sometimes
the
level
of
infiltration
went
up
and
sometimes
down,
he
said.
Dr
Singh
was
talking
to
reporters
at
the
Padma
Awards
function.
UNI
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