Omar welcomes Centre's 8-point Kashmir initiative

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Welcoming the Indian
government's eight-point initiative for the northern state of
Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday said
it was a positive development which should lead to resolving
the political issues of the state.
"The Centre's Kashmir formula is a positive
development and must lead to a resolution to all political
issues of Jammu and Kashmir," Omar told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said work on some of the issues
announced after the CCS had already begun and expressed the
hope that the schools and colleges will reopen from Monday and
students booked for stone-pelting will be released soon.
On convening of the Unified Headquarters meeting, he
said it will be done sometime next week during which a
thorough discussion on decreasing the footprint of security
forces in main towns, including Srinagar, will be discussed
besides withdrawal of "disturbed areas" act in few places
would be discussed.
"While saying so, I would not build hope that results
will be expected in the first meeting itself. It may take time
and there may be many rounds before arriving at a consensus,"
he said.
While acknowledging the role of the army, Omar made it
clear that "the view point of the army cannot be ignored but
at the same time, their view point cannot be accepted
unilaterally".
Omar said the Centre's eight-point initiative was a
positive development and the appointment of interlocutors to
start dialogue with civil society was a welcome step.
He said he understood his responsibilities as the
chief minister of the state and he would try his best to take
forward the Centre's formula and do the needful on the behalf
of the state government. PTI ACB
SAK


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