Kashmir: All-party delegation to visit Tangmarg, hospitals today

JAMMU - The 39-member all-party delegation, which arrived in Srinagar on Monday to assess the ground situation, will visit Tangmarg, which had witnessed some of the worst violence.

According to sources, the delegation would meet the people in Tangmarg where six persons were killed in police firing last week.

The delegation is likely to visit a few hospitals where injured are undergoing treatment. he delegation would leave for Jammu later today to meet political groups and people from different walks of life.

The refugees living in the area want the delegation to seriously take into account their aspirations.

They have been demanding citizenship rights - a long pending demand that will ultimately pave way for getting jobs, owning properties and even taking part in the State elections.

Earlier, during their interaction with the visiting delegation, the ruling National Conference party reiterated its demand for autonomy, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) called for finding an out of box solution while the Congress party stressed to adapt an unconventional approach to restore peace and address the aspirations of people here.

Speaking to reporters, PDP leader Nizamuddin Bhatt said that the present crisis is due to long pending Kashmir issue and recent mishandling of the situation by the Omar Abdullah government.

He said that party renewed its demand for revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and unconditional dialogue with all sections of people.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti did not meet the all party delegation but her party led by Dilawar Mir met the delegation.

Congress party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit President and former Union Minister Safuddin Soz said that the party urged the delegation to restore civil liberties of the people in full measure and with dignity.

Soz asserted that dialogue was only way forward and Congress would vigorously facilitate such a process.

Moderate Hurriyat Conference Chief Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik called for a result oriented dialogue to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue and sent a joint memorandum to the delegation.(ANI)