Do not politicize demilitarisation issue: Azad

Anantnag (South Kashmir), July 12: Expressing satisfaction over theimprovement in the overall situation, Jammu and Kashmir Chief MinisterGhulam Nabi Azad warned that any wrong step at a time when the statewas becoming peaceful would take the people back to 1990.

Cautioning against politicising the issue of demilitarisation, MrAzad said it did not concern any particular political party but wasdirectly linked with the overall security situation of the State.

''My government is trying to bring back the situation to the levelof 1987-88,'' he said and called for the need to be more vigilant,especially in the wake of the recent developments in Pakistan.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a partner in the governmentheaded by Mr Azad has been demanding demilitarisation in the state.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has appointed a committee afterPDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed wrote a letter to him on the issue.

The main opposition National Conference (NC) and severalseparatist organisations also demanded troops withdrawal in the state.However, Congress and other Jammu based political parties, are opposingit.

Addressing a rally of the ruling Congress party here yesterday, MrAzad said the issue of demilitarisation should not be made a topic ofpolitical debate.

He said although the incidents of violence and militancy were on the decline it was not wise to lower the guard.

Mr Azad said in order to protect the gains achieved in March onroad to peace people and the leadership at large should be morecautious and act responsibly.

Mr Azad said the strength of the Armed Forces in the State would beautomatically reduced and the troops would go to the barracks once thesituation was completely under control. He said the improvement in thesituation should not be construed as an end of militancy. He said hefirmly believed in the vacation of private houses, government buildingslike schools and orchards by the security forces as soon as it waspossible.

He said as Chief Minister he had been emphasising this point in the meetings of the Unified Command.

Mr Azad said he had also been stressing on payment of rent to theowners of the orchards at present under the occupation of the securityforces.

He said most of the hotels and school buildings had already been vacated by the security forces during the past two years.

About his meeting with the Defence Secretary, Shekhar Dutt lastweek, Mr Azad said he made it clear to him that the security forcesshould make their own arrangements on a war footing and vacate privatehouses and government installations so that the facilities were usedfor the purpose these had been constructed for.

He also emphasised on paying in one go all pending rent to theorchard owners which had been occupied by the security forces and wherethese could not be vacated immediately, the payment should be maderegularly on a monthly basis.

He said as Chief Minister he did not want to influence the opinionof Mr Dutt who had meetings with the district administration ondemilitarisation, but so far as vacation of private and governmentbuildings and payment of rent to orchard owners was concerned he madehis views known very clearly.

He highlighted the role of the security forces in bringing about an improvement in the situation.

UNI