Azad terms situation in J&K ''very bad''; rejects troop withdrawal

Srinagar, Apr 1 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today rejected outright any move to withdraw troops from the state, saying the security situation was ''very bad'' in the state.

''The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is very bad. There is no improvement at all. The level of violence has not come down as projected by some people,'' Mr Azad said after visiting the family of Congress leader and industrialist Jan Mohammad Kakroo, who was killed by militants in Baramulla district this morning.

He said any decision to reduce troops would be taken only after complete normalcy was restored in the strife-torn state.

Ruling out any troop reduction in the state, the Chief Minister said the incidents during the past few days were a ''lesson'' for those demanding demilitarisation.

''There won't be any troop cut. The incidents over the past few days are lessons for those demanding reduction in the number of security forces in the state,'' he said.

The Centre had recently announced the setting up a high-powered committee headed by Defence Minister A K Antony on Jammu and Kashmir as part of a three-fold mechanism to deal with the PDP demands for withdrawal of troops, repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and vacation of the civilian and institutional properties in use by the security forces for the past several years in the state.

It was announced that under the mechanism, an Expert Panel headed by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt would look into the demand for troop withdrawal and a Review Committee would consider the Act in question.

The move, which came after several meetings PDP chief Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and others, came as a breather for the coalition government in the state with the PDP deciding to stay in the ruling alliance.

Mr Azad had also met the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson to discuss the PDP's demands.

UNI