All-party delegation to visit Kashmir on Monday

Sources said the delegation will be in the state for three days during which it will meet leaders of political parties and various other sections of society.

The members of the delegation, expected to be headed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, will gather various shades of opinion on the current situation in the state and ways to deal with it.

The decision to send the delegation was taken at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday on the situation in the state.

'The leaders agreed that the delegation should meet all sections of the people and gather all shades of opinion,' a statement issued after the all-party meeting said. 'The feedback received from the all-party delegation would form an important input into the government's evolving response on various issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir.'

The all-party meeting underlined that the Constitution of India provides "ample scope to accommodate any legitimate political demand through dialogue, civil discourse and peaceful negotiations."