Centre willing to give 'special powers' to J&K

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 25. The Centre today announced its willingness to grant ``special powers'' to Jammu and Kashmir, if needed, but ruled out accepting the J&K autonomy resolution.

The Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K.Advani, told the Rajya Sabha that the resolution, which sought a restoration of the pre-1953 status, was not acceptable. Agreeing to it would mean turning the clock back to a phase where there would be no role for institutions such as like the Supreme Court, the Election Commission or the President of India in the State, he said. This would also deprive the people of Jammu and Kashmir the rights and powers they got after 1953.

Replying to the supplementaries during question hour, Mr. Advani said this view was conveyed to the State Government and emphasised that the NDA Government favoured devolution of powers to States. ``If J&K needs special powers, we are willing it to give them,'' he said. Mr. Advani's thrust on `special powers' meant a rejection of `autonomy'.

Referring to the Government's Ramzan initiative and subsequent withdrawal of unilateral ceasefire, which he preferred to describe as `non-initiation of combat operations', he said that initially violence had come down but on appraisal it was found the move proved costly since there was a greater loss of lives of civilian and security personnel during the period. Mr. Advani said the Government decided to restart its `pro-active' approach in dealing with militants while inviting the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, for talks. ``What is happening in Jammu and Kashmir is naked terrorism.'' For the past few years those who were killed or arrested were either from Pakistan, Pak.- occupied Kashmir or from Afghanistan and there was no question of this being any freedom struggle, he said.

In this context, the Home Minister said that during his meeting with Gen. Musharraf, the latter refused to accept that terrorism was going on though he expressed willingness to cooperate in dealing with the problem elsewhere. Gen. Musharraf said that so far as Jammu and Kashmir was concerned, there was no cross-border terrorism because there was no border, Mr. Advani said. Gen. Musharraf maintained all that was there was LoC and Pakistan had nothing to do with it.

On the Hurriyat Conference, Mr. Advani reiterated the Government was willing to talk to all but if the conglomerate thought it represented Jammu and Kashmir, it was mistaken.

Mr. Advani said Gen. Musharraf denied the presence of the underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, wanted for the Mumbai serial blasts, in Pakistan. But the Government had information that Dawood Ibrahim was back in Pakistan.

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