Peace initiative sound: Advani

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, MAY 19. Terming the Centre's peace initiative in Jammu and Kashmir ``sound and correct'', the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, today said that the decision to extend the six-month-long unilateral ceasefire would be taken soon by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

After attending a meeting of the Unified Headquarters (UH) here along with the Defence and External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, Mr. Advani said, ``Today's meeting has given us proper insights into how we proceed from here.''

Refusing to comment on whether there was a possibility of extending the ceasefire, he said, ``The CCS is meeting shortly and it will not be possible for me to speculate on something that is likely to happen.'' However, he said the three-hour meeting had offered valuable inputs.

The meeting was attended by the Governor, Mr. Girish Chandra Saxena, the Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the Minister of State for Home and Law, Mr. Mushtaq Lone, the Union Home Secretary, Mr. Kamal Pandey, the Commander of 15 Corps, Lt. Gen. J.R. Mukherjee, the 14 Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray, heads of all the paramilitary forces, the Director-General of Police and other senior officials.

The meeting ``would enable the Centre to take the right decision and in a manner that would ensure that both our objectives of peace and security are subserved,'' Mr. Advani said.

On the results of the ceasefire, he said that officials of the security agencies pointed out that there have been both gains and misgivings. He did not elaborate on the latter. ``It was a matter of immense delight for us to learn that the work done by the armed forces in the border regions has earned them immense respect.'' According to Mr. Advani, the security officials emphasised that if there were excesses committed anywhere, they had not been condoned.

Mr. Advani said that the peace initiative has been a matter of discussion and debate in the country and very shortly it would be decided how to ensure peace and at the same time the security of the people in the borders. To a question, Mr. Advani denied that the peace process was a non-starter.

The Defence Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, said that Pakistan has no locus standi in creating hurdles for border fencing ``in our own land''. ``We will go ahead with the plan formulated by the Home Ministry.''

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, is reported to have expressed concern over civilian killings, particularly workers of National Conference. He told reporters that he was never against the ceasefire and knew nothing about its extension. ``It has been announced by them and they (the Centre) know it,'' he said, adding that it was a fact that borders were calm but the militants were killing innocent civilians. He pointed out that in the recent past the rate of militants getting killed had gone up.

During the meeting, the State officials stressed the increase in the killing of civilians. However, representatives of Army supported the extension of the ceasefire.

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