All-party delegation in Kashmir, PDP to attend, Separatists to stay away

Srinagar, Sept 20 (PTI) Seeking ways to defuse the three
- month unrest at Kashmir Valley in India, an all-party
delegation led by Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram commenced
a series of meetings which will be also attended by
PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) but without its chief Mehbooba
Mufti while separatists are staying away.
The 42-member team, which arrived here on a crucial
two-day visit to assess the ground situation, was received by
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, as curfew
remained clamped in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
The death toll during violence and clashes in the last three
months is now at 103.
PDP's Mehbooba Mufti will not be meeting the delegation
which will have interaction with the main opposition party's
General Secretary Mohd Dilawar Meer, who will be accompanied
by 14 party members.
Moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and JKLF will skip meeting the team but will submit a
memorandum to it, JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front)
chief Yasin Malik said.
"It is a creative memorandum. Hope it is taken in the
right spirit and that the delegation understands the pulse of
the people," Malik said.
Some members of the 42-member delegation are likely to
call on hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his
Hyderpora residence here.
Though Geelani has officially refused to meet them, he
said the delegation members will not be turned away if they
decide to call on him at his house as they were guests.
Shortly after arrival, Chidambaram said each major
political party in J and K has been allotted 15 minutes.
"It is very important that you use your 15 minutes to
your best advantage," he said. PTI MIJ SAK DV
GSN