PDP turns down PM's appeal, will not attend all-party meet

SRINAGAR: Opposition PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday rejected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal to attend an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tomorrow to discuss the situation in Kashmir and sought his intervention to defuse tension in the valley.

The Prime Minister, who had spoken to Mehbooba yesterday, was understood to have impressed upon her the need for the government and the opposition to be on the same side to tackle the current situation in violence-hit Kashmir, while requesting her to attend the all-party meet.

"I have a deep regard for the Prime Minister. We appreciate all his initiatives. I feel pained to convey my inability to attend the meeting," Mehbooba told reporters here.

"The situation is so bad that we need to defuse the tension on the ground and need a bigger initiative from the highest authority which would be taken seriously by the people," she said, adding she wanted to be "excused" from the meeting.

The PDP chief said Home Minister P Chidambaram also called her up yesterday.

Mehbooba maintained that "nothing will come out of the proposed all-party meeting. The state government has lost credibility and has exhausted all the options".

Requesting the Prime Minister to intervene, she said he has the authority to take an initiative that would be regarded seriously by the people.

"We need an initiative which has an effect on the people and not on the international and national scenario," she said.

Alleging that the Chief Minister was on damage control exercise, she said, "Fire fighting is being done at the national level".

Replying to questions, she demanded lifting of "curbs" on the media, withdrawal of army and an end to the "crackdown".