Mufti hails ceasefire extension

NEW DELHI, JAN 23. The former Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today welcomed the extension of ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir by a month, but said this should be followed by a political dialogue involving the Kashmiri people and their representatives.

``Mere extension of ceasefire will not serve any purpose until political initiative is taken to wean away youths from militancy and bring them back to the mainstream,'' Mr. Sayeed said adding that the Hurriyat Conference leaders should be allowed to go to Pakistan if their visit could help persuade militant outfits to abjure violence.

``This if a golden opportunity and we should not miss it,'' Mr. Sayeed said.

An eye-opener: Farooq

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, said the extension of ceasefire demonstrated India's desire for peace with Pakistan but cautioned Islamabad against persistence of violence by militants.

``With all strength and power we have, we still took the path of peace. That should be an eye-opener to everyone that India wants peace with its neighbours,'' he told Star News tonight.

Welcoming the ceasefire, the Congress leader from Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Ghulam Rasool Kar, asked the Centre to start a dialogue involving the political leadership in the State.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, Mr. Kar urged the Centre to `engage the Kashmiri population meaningfully through political dialogue'' and said the ``entire spectrum of social and political leadership in the State is always willing to cooperate.''

`Well received'

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief, Mr. Gautam Kaul, today welcomed the extension of truce saying it had so far been received well by the people of the valley as also by some militant groups. Talking to mediapersons at Sarai Khas near Jalandhar, he said some important people among militant groups had responded in a ``very positive'' manner but were, however, not in a position to react openly for fear of compromising their position in their respective groups. He however refused to identify these people or outfits.

- PTI, UNI

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