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Govt determined to persist with peace efforts

The government's intention to hold preparatory talks with Hurriyat leaders for a solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue does not mean that it will be manipulated into agreeing to the Pakistani line on the violence-infested state, according to a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office.

"It is a measure of the prime minister's desire to restore peace and tranquillity in J&K and bring its people into the national mainstream that he has taken steps to talk to the Hurriyat leadership."

"We also welcome the report that Pakistan foreign minister Abdul Sattar wants preparatory talks between New Delhi and the Hurriyat leadership before his country can come into the picture. However, we reiterate that New Delhi's talks with Islamabad is contingent upon the latter stopping cross-border terrorism in J&K," the official told rediff.com.

He indicated that despite the misgivings of certain 'entities' (read the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and some opposition parties), the prime minister had gone ahead with his peace initiatives "but the government is very clear that it will not toe the Pakistani line when we talk to the Hurriyat," he clarified.

He agreed that the prime minister has taken a risk by persisting with his determination to talk to the Hurriyat despite grave provocation by the militants who continued to strike terror in J&K.

"Despite the relentless criticism, he is determined to persist with the peace initiative," the official stressed.

At the same time, he clarified, every effort is being made to apprehend the culprits who stormed the Red Fort in Delhi in an apparent bid to scuttle the efforts for peace in J&K.

"We are aware that hostile forces do not want peace in J&K because of vested interests. But we are alive to the situation and we will do everything to prevent what happened to flight IC 814 a year ago," he said.

Meanwhile, the government has 'cleared' the documents of Hurriyat leaders, including its chief Abdul Ghani Butt, for travelling to Islamabad.

Apparently, the prime minister insisted that this 'concession' be made.

Significantly, Union Home Minister L K Advani, considered a hardliner, has gone to the extent of saying that the government is even willing to talk to militant groups like the Hizbul Mujahideen in the interests of peace in J&K.

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