NEW DELHI, June 22: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is soon likely to pay his second visit to occupied Kashmir this year to help create a conducive atmosphere for holding elections in the held state.
“A visit is proposed, but no date has been fixed yet,” a spokesman in the prime minister’s office said.
The Hindustan Times newspaper said Vajpayee would visit Srinagar next month and could even meet the leaders of the All Party Hurriyat Conference.
The premier’s spokesman said there was no official word about Vajpayee’s proposed itinerary.
Vajpayee visited held Kashmir last month and held talks with various local people and announced a 1.24 billion-dollar development package to boost employment and build infrastructure.
“We met a lot of leaders of political parties here who all desired that peace should return to (held) Kashmir and work should be undertaken for development,” Vajpayee said during his last visit.
But the Hurriyat has pledged to boycott the polls, alleging that past elections were rigged, and Mujahideen have warned of grave consequences for anyone who heads to the voting booths.—AFP
