SRINAGAR: The withdrawal of stone-pelting cases against 4,327 youth by the Jammu and Kashmir government is seen as a major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) and the first step towards facilitating talks between interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma and the separatists.
“It is a positive and major step,” Mehboob Beg, chief spokesperson of the ruling PDP told The New Indian Express. He said these youths would have an opportunity to start their lives afresh without making rounds of police stations or fighting legal battles.
Asked if it was to facilitate dialogue between the interlocutor and the separatists, Beg said, “More steps including release of political leaders may also be in the pipeline. Sharma has stated that he will try his best to meet the separatist leaders.”
BJP general secretary Ashok Koul said his party welcomed the move. He said it was taken jointly by the BJPPDP combine. “We are trying to create a conducive atmosphere for talks,” he said.