'Informal' CCS Meeting Discusses Troop Cut, Redeployment in J

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today discussed troop reduction and redeployment in Jammu&Kashmir -- in the normal routine as well as in light of the very recent People's Democratic Party demand.

The meeting -- dubbed as ''informal deliberations by the CCS'' at the Prime Minister's official residence here -- was attended, among others, by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Defence Minister AK Antony. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired.

Information and Broadcasting Minister PR Dasmunsi -- Spokesperson for the Government at the end of normal Cabinet meets -- remained tightlipped about the outcome of the CCS meeting.

But, according to reliable sources in the Defence Ministry, troop reduction and their redeployment in Jammu and Kashmir was among ''the main issues'' that came up during the half-hour meeting.

And ahead of this meeting, J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had met Home Minister Patil and apprised him about the difficulties in pulling out troops from civilian areas as he feared increase in violence levels -- lately considerably down as compared to earlier.

CM Azad, who arrived here earlier this morning, had also stressed upon taking other political parties on board before taking a decision on the PDP demand.

The troop reduction issue was also discussed late last evening by the Core Committee of the Congress Party. The meeting -- also held at the PM's official residence -- was attended, among others, by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, EAM Mukherjee, Home Minister Patil and Defence Minister Antony -- besides Political Secretary to the Congress President Ahmed Patel.

PDP leader -- and former J&K CM -- Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had last week demanded of the Prime Minister that the Centre pull out troops from civilian areas in J&K, vacate civilian properties occupied by the security forces and repeal ''anti-terror laws'' like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Meanwhile, Defence sources here maintained that any troop withdrawal in J&K should take place only after normalcy had been ''completely restored'' in the troubled state.

With anti-India militant infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) intact -- and hundreds of militants waiting to cross over to this side once the heavy winter snows start melting, the Army was keen that it stay in the strife-torn state ''till complete normalcy is restored''.

Demilitarisation of the state, the sources conceded, was ''a political decision'' -- but it should be taken ''only after a thorough study of the ground situation'' in J&K, they cautioned.

UNI