JK parties ask govt to strengthen peace process

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir urged the Centre to strengthen the ongoing peace process through internal and external dialogue at an all-party meeting held in Srinagar on Monday.

The meeting held at Sheri Kashmir International Conference Centre was attended by representatives of all political parties in the state barring the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party president Bhim Singh.

The meeting unanimously adopted a resolution under which it was decided that an all-party delegation would call on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and invite his attention to various problems faced by the state.

The parties urged the state government to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of civilians in the state.

The meeting was also attended by the ruling National Conference president and Union Minister for Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, who expressed his "deep anguish at the unfortunate loss of lives during the recent disturbances" and appealed to the state government to consider adequate relief for the families of the deceased.

The meeting was convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

"Keeping in view the suffering of people, huge economic losses and the adverse impact on the education of the children, the meeting made a fervent appeal to the people, irrespective of their political affiliations, to come forward and help in the restoration of peace and normalcy," a resolution passed by the meeting said.

The parties that represented in the meeting included the National Conference, the Indian National Congress, the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Bhaujan Samaj Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Peoples Democratic Front, the Democratic Party Nationalist besides Members of Legislative Assembly Er. Abdul Rashid (Langate), Charanjeet Singh (Kathua) and Tsetian Namgyal (Leh).