J

Srinagar, Jun 28 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir headed for Governor's Rule today as the Ghulam Nabi Azad government was reduced to a minority after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pulled out of the coalition, alleging that it could not remain a mute spectator to the sufferings of the populace caused by the controversial allotment of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

The PDP pullout from the government came in the backdrop of massive protests for the sixth day in the Kashmir valley against the transfer of the forest land to the SASB in which four people have been killed and more than 380 others injured during the agitation that has seen people taking to the streets in large numbers for the first time since 1990.

''All of our ministers in the coalition government have sent their resignation letters to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad,'' PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told reporters here this evening.

''We have also informed Governor N N Vohra about our decision to withdraw from the ministry and support to Congress-led government,''she said.

Ms Mufti said the PDP had given June 30 as the deadline to the government to revoke the land transfer to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

''However, we cannot remain insensitive to the killings and injuries and other sufferings to people, so we decided to pull out from the government,'' she said.

''We had requested the Chief Minister to withdraw the order immediately to save the situation,'' she said.

In reply to a question, she said the land allotment was a collective decision of the cabinet, including Chief Minister.

More UNI BAS RP RAI2202