From the States : Jammu & Kashmir

PUGWASH meet not up to people’s expectations: BJP

J&K State BJP President Dr. Nirmal Singh has said that the different parties which participated in Pugwash Conference failed to highlight the Kashmir issue up to the expectations of the people and accused them of just trying to hog the limelight in Islamabad. He was addressing mediamen at Jammu

Describing the proposal as irrelevant, Shri Nirmal Singh opposed General Pervez Musharaf’s suggestion regarding the demilitarization, self-rule and idea of making border irrelevant. Terming these proposals as vague he said that the idea of demilitarization is not acceptable as people are still suffering from the militancy in the region. He reiterated that deployment and redeployment of army troops should be in proportion to the decrease of militancy.

Shri Nirmal Singh said that BJP was against another partition of the country and people will not allow it to happen under any circumstances.

During the Pugwash Conference, Dr. Nirmal reiterated the demand for regional parity in the state. Provincial level committees should be constituted and Panchayati Raj should be extended to this militancy-affected state.

He added there was a general consensus among the participants of the conference that there is no place for violence and terrorism in solving the vexed problem of J&K and dialogue process for peace in the region should always continue. He maintained in the conference that Gilgit and Baltistan are important parts of J&K and no talks can make progress without talking these issues in consideration. He said that he made it clear in the conference that BJP will oppose every issue which dilutes the sovereignty of the nation and the region.