Decision on ceasefire put off

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. The Vajpayee Government has deferred by a few days a decision on the extension - for the third time - of the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was to meet this evening in this regard.

However, the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, landed in the capital only at 4 in the afternoon, and he had invited the leaders of political parties for a consultation at 6.30 p.m. This all-party consultation on the Gujarat earthquake was to end at 8 p.m., and the CCS was to meet soon after. But the Disaster Management Committee meeting spilled uncontrollably beyond the stipulated time, and it was decided to reschedule the CCS meeting in the next few days.

The current ceasefire was to have expired on February 26, but it was felt that a decision could be taken eight days ahead as Parliament begins its budget session tomorrow and that it would not be prudent to allow the exigencies of parliamentary give-and- take to influence the integrity of its decision-making process.

The CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister, and is attended, among others, by the Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, the Finance minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the National Security Adviser, Mr. Brajesh Mishra.

Srinagar shadow

The decision, however, has become an exacting one in the context of the tense situation in the troubled State. For the last three days, Srinagar has been witness to a stand-off between anti- Government demonstrators and the security forces. The latter have felt constrained to open fire against citizens, thereby inflaming passions and perhaps undermining the very argument that the ceasefire strategy would consolidate the ``mood for peace'' in the Valley.

In the last few days senior Hurriyat and other ``resistance'' leaders such as Mr. Shabir Shah and Mr. Yaseen Malik have been arrested while the Hurriyat chairperson, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, has found himself placed under house arrest. So vitiated has the political atmosphere in Srinagar become, that Prof. Bhat was earlier today reported to have argued that withdrawal or extension of the unilateral ceasefire would neither make a difference to the situation nor produce any tangible results.

Pressure from within

At home, the Vajpayee Government has been under pressure from within, especially from the BJP, not to experiment further with the ceasefire because Pakistan and the militant groups have shown no interest in reciprocating India's restraint. The militants have been striking, almost at will, and killing innocent citizens. The recent attacks against the Sikhs in Srinagar and the suicide attack at the Jammu and Kashmir police headquarters have reinforced the hardliners' position that Pakistan is not interested in peace.

Geelani, Bhat held

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Next     : Army admits to opening fire