Kashmir coordination panel meets

JAMMU - The much-hyped National Conference-Congress coordination committee met here Thursday for less than 45 minutes, without discussing the contentious issues bothering the coalition.

It was the first such meeting after nearly six months.

The panel, headed by state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz, met around 4.30 p.m. “We discussed panchayat elections and certain amendments,” Soz said.

Informed sources said the meeting was cut short as panel members, particularly from the National Conference, wanted Soz not to rake up contentious issues.

This included setting up three new universities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah did not attend the meeting.

Omar Abdullah is reportedly unhappy with the way Soz has been criticizing the coalition government in public.