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Ceasefire welcome, but more initiatives needed: Lone

Reacting to the government's move to extend the unilateral ceasefire till May this year, Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone said though the extension was a welcome step the government needed to do more to win the confidence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to rediff.com on Thursday morning in Delhi, Lone said that extension of ceasefire has become a sort of a ritual now. "Every time there is an extension, the media asks our reaction as if something big had taken place. When the ceasefire was announced in November last year, people in the Valley felt there was a respite from the daily routine. They were happy as it had given them a much-needed break. However, the whole thing turned into a farce," he said.

Lone alleged that more than 27 people have been killed in custody by the security agencies in last two months alone. "What happened in Haigam and Maisuma where innocent people were killed by security forces in cold blood. The Government of India must work out some kind of system by which it could ensure that the ceasefire is effective on the ground level," he said.

When asked about the killings of Sikhs and burning alive of the Gujars by terrorists, Lone said this was the reason Hurriyat leaders want to visit Pakistan to impress upon militant outfits to co-operate in controlling violence in the Valley.

"India has been saying all along that Pakistan is encouraging trans-border terrorism. We said that our visit to Pakistan would help in curbing this menace, but they do not want us to go there. Then how are they helping the situation?" he said.

"Till date, nobody from the government has contacted us or talked to us about our passports etc. I hope the government would soon take a decision on this," he said.

"I understand Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended the ceasefire despite opposition from within the government and some political parties. We have faith in the prime minister but he must take a few more initiatives to take the peace process further," Lone told rediff.com.

UNI adds:

J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, talking to reporters at the Raj Bhawan in Jammu, has welcomed ceasefire extension hoping that it would usher a new dawn of peace in the border state.

Dr Abdullah, reversing his earlier stand, had, last week itself, favoured further extension of the ceasefire adding a rider that the Internal situation should be assessed before reaching any decision.

Senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq described the extension of ceasefire as an 'eyewash', stating the central government must come forward with 'comprehensive peace proposals' to resolve the Kashmir problem.

He said the government must spell out its agenda on the peace initiative. "It (government) is not clear on its plan of action," he said.

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