February 17, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 28, 1428

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MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 16: Following the failure of talks with AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan on Friday, representatives of various political and religious parties, students and traders’ organisations vowed to continue their “peaceful protests” against the official plan of relocating government offices.

The meeting was held on the invitation of the prime minister at his office here, a day after an all-party conference, attended by more than 200 representatives of political parties, students, lawyers and traders had urged him through a joint declaration to desist from the ‘controversial’ moves in the larger interest of the people of Muzaffarabad.

The conference had also chalked out a series of peaceful protest programmes to be observed in case the government did not make an announcement to their satisfaction.

Sardar Attique had announced early this month that government offices would be relocated along Muzaffarabad-Kohala road whereas satellite towns for survivors would be established along Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road.

The announcement triggered unrest in Muzaffarabad, bringing otherwise opponent leaders to one table to thwart the official move on the grounds that it would affect the historical status and economic interests of the state capital.

The head of the Development Authority Muzaffarabad, which has to implement the land use plan for the capital city prepared by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), had also opposed the plan on technical grounds. At the outset of the Friday’s meeting, Sardar Attique recounted the achievements of his government over the past seven months, claiming among other things that it was he who had brought the district headquarters back to the town although the previous government had decided to construct it in Garhi Dupatta. However, he did not oblige his visitors who had demanded in succession that he should categorically state that the offices “which were symbol of the state” would not be relocated.

Instead, he said, he had initiated the process to hold consultations at different forums regarding the reconstruction.

The prime minister stressed that as Rs30 billion were to be spent on reconstruction of Muzaffarabad, it was joint responsibility of the government, opposition and civil society to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in the town.

However, his assertions failed to satisfy the visitors, who later blamed him for failure of talks.