Centre to enhance peace efforts in J&K, Mehbooba may visit Delhi

A slew of measures would be adopted by the Centre to enhance peace efforts in Jammu & Kashmir, sources have said. The measures would follow Special Representative Dineshwar Sharma briefing the Centre about his meetings with different delegations in the state.  Sharma is understood to have presented his own roadmap of how he wants to break the ice to make efforts for peace a reality, sources privy to the efforts of the Centre and the state government said. Reports said that Sharma will be visiting Kashmir again by the end of this month if he feels the Centre has heeded his suggestions. Sharma reportedly attended a high-level meet on Kashmir in New Delhi recently and stressed upon participants to help bring permanent peace in J&K.Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has been actively pushing for dialogue and roping  in the Hurriyat, is likely to visit New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. She has started efforts to allow young teenagers, who have picked up the gun, to return home and has told police to allow Huriyat leaders to do “peaceful activities” in Kashmir.  Following her directions, state police chief S.P. Ved told the media recently that Hurriyat leaders were free to carry on with peaceful political activities in Kashmir. Reports said that Mufti has assured Hurriyat leaders that she will take up their pre-conditions for talks, with the Centre. Sources said that it was because of these efforts that opposition National Conference recently accused Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani of being “hand in glove” with the ruling PDP in Kashmir. Meanwhile, life remained paralysed in Srinagar on Saturday following curfew and restrictions in areas under eight police stations. Police and district authorities also decided to shut down all schools and colleges in Srinagar to avoid protests and violence following the killing of Mugees Ahmad Mir, a top militant leader hailing from Srinagar, who was part of the Zakir Musa group. A large number of people participated in his funeral on Saturday morning despite the restrictions. Hundreds of youths were also seen raising Al-Qaeda and anti-Hurriyat Conference slogans during his funeral procession. Authorities suspended classes in the University of Kashmir and two other universities on Saturday to avoid protests. They, however, decided to hold the examinations slated earlier for Saturday. Students were told to come to the examination halls as their admit cards were treated as curfew passes.