Azad discusses Musharraf plan with PM, Pranab

Roughly a week before External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad met Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey his views on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's four-part proposal on Kashmir.

During his meetings with Singh and Mukherjee last night and Home Minister Shivraj Patil today, Azad emphasised the need for working out a concrete reply to Musharraf's proposal for joint management and de-militarisation of Kashmir.

"Let's have joint management of water resources, tourism and trade between the two parts of Kashmir," Azad was quoted by sources as having told the central leaders.

Azad feels Pakistan is only making such proposals for the consumption of the media and New Delhi should take the initiative for "firming up" the proposals so that Islamabad's seriousness about resolving the Kashmir issue can be gauged, the sources said.

About demiliterisation, Azad, during his meetings, said this is a two-pronged issue that needs to be taken up with Islamabad to find out what it meant by it.

Removing the Army from the borders or the Line of Control is not acceptable and sending the armed forces in civilian areas back to barracks depends on the reduction of violence by militants, Azad was quoted by the sources as having told the central leaders.