The Hindu : Mufti to seek PM's nod for policy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 25, 2003

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Mufti to seek PM's nod for policy

By Harish Khare

New Delhi Jan. 24. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, tomorrow to seek his endorsement — administrative and political — of his "healing touch'' policy.

In particular, the release of political prisoners from jails in Jammu and Kashmir — as part of this healing touch — has become a matter of controversy. It is believed that the Centre and the State Government have agreed to constitute a joint review committee to screen the release of prisoners.

A joint review panel became imperative after the Bharatiya Janata Party started making a political issue out of the release of prisoners. Given the BJP's political offensive, the Mufti's coalition partner, the Congress, is believed to have developed cold feet and is now apparently advising the State Government to "go slow" on the release of prisoners. It would, therefore, be the Mufti's endeavour to see if he can rescue his "healing touch'' policy from the BJP-Congress verbal stand-off.

Mr. Sayeed called on the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today. According to a State Government press release, the "two leaders shared the perception that the opportunity in Jammu and Kashmir that the elections have thrown up must not be missed.''

Meanwhile, a serious note has been taken by the concerned officials and agencies of the growing debate and rift within the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. This rift has become quite accentuated in the wake of the People's Democratic Party victory. The "moderate'' Majid Dar faction has virtually revolted against the dominant Syed Salahuddin faction.

The two groups engaged in a violent clash on the night of January 15 in the Taxila camp of Haripur district in Pakistan. The clash resulted in two deaths. Two days later, another clash among the mujahideen was reported from the jungle mangal camp (in PoK) on January 17.

The Indian sources have reason to believe that an alarmed Inter-Services Intelligence has already moved in quickly to segregate the two factions.

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