All-party delegation to visit Kashmir

New Delhi: After a meeting lasting over five hours the all-party meet summoned by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the recent flare-up of violence in the Kashmir Valley has decided that an all-party delegation, under the leadership of the minister for home affairs will visit the strife-torn state. The timing of the visit and the composition of the delegation is yet to be decided.

There was no consensus on the controversial issue of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), with one participating leader mentioning that though a ''few'' were in favour of doing away with it, it did not receive any backing from the vast majority.

Separatist-inspired violence has left more than 90 civilians and security personnel dead over the last three months. 

Addressing the meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said, "We know that there are some inimical forces within and beyond the state and we understand the extreme pressures and dangerous circumstances our police and security forces face in protecting our sovereignty and territorial integrity."

She affirmed that the Congress was more than willing to support a process of healing and dialogue in the troubled state.

Significantly, Sonia spoke of the aspirations of the youth in Kashmir saying that jobs and opportunities should be created in J&K as the youth needed to be engaged and won over.