New Delhi, Sept 18: As unrest continues in Jammu and Kashmir, its main opposition PDP has been reaching out to various national parties as part of which its patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed met Left leaders to suggest how the situation in the state could be defused.

Sayeed met CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat Saturday and CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja yesterday to exchange views on the turmoil in the state.

In these meetings, Sayeed is understood to have pinned hopes on the upcoming visit of an all-party delegation to the state on Monday to seek views of cross-section of people there.

He has suggested that the delegation should meet the families of victims of police firing.

Representatives of the Left parties, including CPI (M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta, will be part of the all-party delegation that will visit Kashmir and Jammu for two days.

The Left parties, which have been for long demanding sending of such a delegation to the valley, favoured beginning of a political process with all sections in the state and these views were conveyed to Sayeed, the former Chief Minister.

 Besides, they want the immediate release of youth arrested during the three-month long protests, barring those who have been slapped with serious charges.

 They have sought measures for providing economic relief for the continuous disruption of business and economic activities in the valley with special emphasis on providing employment.

 The Left parties have also been asking the government to withdraw the Disturbed Areas proclamation from certain cities to make the AFSPA redundant in these areas.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 18 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST