All-party team likely to visit Kashmir Monday

NEW DELHI - The all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir is likely to travel to the troubled state at the beginning of next week, probably Monday, a home ministry official said.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram is likely to accompany the team, which is likely to visit both the violence-hit Kashmir and the Jammu regions.

“The details are still being worked out… whether it is a day’s visit or a two-day visit. Most probably the delegation will leave on Monday,” the official told IANS.

The union home ministry is facilitating the visit.

The all-party meeting on Kashmir here Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to send an all-party delegation to Kashmir where 90 civilians, mostly teenagers and youth, have been killed in firing by security forces in the cycle of violence triggered by street protests since June 11.

The meeting was of the view that any decision on the demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and release of prisoners may be taken after the all-party team gets a first hand impression of the situation in Kashmir.