No compromise over national sovereignty!
Initiate dialogue with all stakeholders in J&K: APD
New Delhi, September 7: The all-party delegation (APD) that visited Jammu and Kashmir this week on Wednesday asked the Central and the state governments to take steps for a dialogue with “all stakeholders” but asserted that there can be no compromises on the issue of national sovereignty.
The members of the delegation, headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, met here today and discussed the outcome of their interactions with the civil society, political parties and government officials during the visit on September 4 and 5.
A unanimous statement of the APD released after the meeting appealed to the people of the state to shun the path of violence and resolve all the issues through dialogue and discussion.
Without making any reference to separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, the statement asked the Central and state governments “to take steps for a dialogue with all stakeholders”. While some Opposition leaders met Hurriyat Conference leaders lodged in various sub jails, hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani refused to meet them.
Expressing serious concern over the prevailing situation in the state, the statement said the members of the delegation were of the view that there is no place for violence in a civilised society.
“There can be no compromises on the issues of national sovereignty,” it added.
The meeting asked both the governments to take steps to ensure that education institutions, government offices and commercial establishment start functioning normally at the earliest.
They requested the government to take effective steps to ensure security for all citizens and provide medical treatment to citizens and security personnel injured in agitation.
Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge said although there should be no compromise on national security, all stake-holders should be included in talks for a political resolution.
After the meeting, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechurry said that he had favoured some confidence-building measures immediately, which included banning the pellet guns, medical help to the injured and probe alleged excesses by the security forces.
The measures include compensation to civil victims of violence, withdrawal of use of pellet guns, announcement with regard to withdrawal of AFSPA from civil area and implementation employment generating schemes on war footing.
What they asked for
- Political dialogue with all-stakeholders, including Hurriyat leaders
- Stopping use of pellet guns and ensuring complete treatment of injured persons
- Crackdown on weekly hartals to bring law and order situation back to normal
- Stop radicalisation of youths through madarsas and mosques
- Left parties wanted withdrawal of AFSPA from civilian areas
P1, 2 col
India snubs Pak envoy over discourtesy to diplomat
New Delhi, September 7
India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to protest “discourtesy” recently shown to India's envoy to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale.
“Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was summoned today to the Ministry of External Affairs and conveyed the concern of Government of India by Secretary (West) (Sujata Mehta) on discourtesy to Indian High Commissioner,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said
India lodged its protest after the Karachi Chamber of Commerce cancelled Bambawale's event at the last minute on Tuesday. Bambawale, who took over the position in January this year, was told about the cancellation half an hour before the event at which he was invited to speak weeks ago. He was not immediately told why the event was cancelled, but Indian officials suspected that his speech on Monday in which he told Pakistan to not interfere in the ongoing Kashmir crisis “rattled the Pakistani authorities, prompting a cancellation”.
During an interactive session organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Bambawale told Pakistan Kashmir was India's internal subject and “people living in glass houses should not throw stones at others”. — PTI
