NEW DELHI, 3 November 2003 — The completion of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s one year in office is marked by several developments signaling a significant trend toward possible solution to the Kashmir impasse. One of these is evolving a “focused approach” to holding a dialogue with separatist Kashmiri group, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. The task will be spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.
The government has also formed a “Coordination Group” to do some groundwork before holding the talks, official sources told PTI yesterday.
Sayeed was sworn in as chief minister on Nov. 2 last year after reaching an agreement with India’s main opposition Congress party that his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would get the top job for the first three years of the six-year term.
A Congress politician will become chief minister for the second half of the term.
The PDP has only 16 seats in the 86-member Kashmir assembly and Sayeed’s government is being supported by 20 Congress legislators and number of independents.
Sayeed had promised a healing touch to Kashmir by ending human rights violations, reforming the security forces and striving for dialogue between New Delhi and separatists.
“The government’s intentions have been good but the execution very poor,” Omar Abdullah, the leader of Kashmir’s main opposition National Conference told AFP.
“There is not a single area where you can give this government credit.”
Abdullah, whose party was in power for years before losing the elections last year, said the government had been good at “making promises, but delivering none.”
“Atrocities have continued, custodial disappearances are taking place and nothing has changed for the common Kashmiri on the ground,” Abdullah said.
He ridiculed Sayeed’s slogan of “peace with dignity” to Kashmiris.
“Ever since the PDP came to power peace has totally eluded us,” the opposition leader said. But Mehbooba Mufti, Sayeed’s daughter who heads the PDP, defended his first year in power.
“Our government has made a very good begining under the most trying circumstances,” Mufti told AFP.
“Accountability of the security forces has increased, excesses have decreased, but a lot needs to be done.”
She said unlike under past regimes, the police were not shying away from registering cases against errant security force personnel.
