PDP mocks at government’s call for talks with separatists
By IANSFriday, January 28, 2011
JAMMU - The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party mocked at the Jammu and Kashmir government’s repeated calls to the separatists to sit across the table terming them as meaningless unless all political prisoners are set free.
“Releasing of political prisoners is the pre-requisite for creating conditions for dialogue,” the party said in a statement Friday.
The PDP has come against the government’s stand as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his address to the state on the eve of Republic Day, had urged the separatists to come forward and talk to the interlocutors and help find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.
The party ridiculed this idea at its legislature party meeting under the chairmanship of the party president Mehbooba Mufti late Thursday night.
The PDP statement said that the situation was not conducive for talks across the table.
The PDP legislators felt that “without creating a conducive atmosphere talks are not possible”.
“The government has been asking separatists to come forward for dialogue, but most of the separatist leaders have been languishing in jails. So this offer reflects that government is not serious in initiating meaningful dialogue. If the government is serious, it should first create the atmosphere for that,” the PDP said.
The PDP reiterated that the government must take confidence building measures (CBMs) to revive the shattered confidence of people and releasing of political prisoners and youth would be the first effective CBM in this regard,” the statement added.
