MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 18: Leader of the Muslim Conference, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, on Friday welcomed India’s decision regarding the phased withdrawal of its troops from its border with Pakistan, describing it as “wise and bold.”

“Though the decision by the Indian government is a little bit delayed, nevertheless it is highly appreciable, wise and bold,” said Sardar Attique, who is also a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly.

“De-escalation is the foremost requirement for the peaceful settlement of all outstanding regional issues, Kashmir being on top of them,” Sardar Attique said while talking to Dawn by telephone.

Commenting on India’s announcement that there would be no change in deployment in occupied Kashmir, he said, “This is the first step and I hope that ultimately better sense will prevail and in the same manner they (India) will be moving towards de-escalating the situation, including that in Kashmir.”

“The initiative is good, but it must be taken to its logical end,” he said.

On Pakistan’s response to India’s announcement, he remarked that Pakistan had done well by promptly reciprocating Indian move.

The MC chief feared that the Indian leadership might face pressure from the hard-liners, but he asked the Indian government to ignore such threats and follow the wishes of its peace loving people to save the region from nuclear race.

“If this process (of de-escalation) continues, ultimately we can move towards de-nuclearization, which is dire need of the region,” he said.

Attique said his party would extend the fullest moral and political support to such initiatives.

The Hizbul Mujahideen said India’s decision reflected her “failure” to cash in on the post 9-11 situation.

“This is not a goodwill gesture. India did not have any choice but to go for the withdrawal decision to avoid further huge spending on the uncalled for deployment of its troops,” Hizb spokesman Salim Hashmi said.

He said India had staged the drama of attack on its parliament and under its cover massed its troops along the border and the Line of Control to pressure Pakistan into giving up its support to the Kashmiris.

The Hizb spokesman said the development could be described as positive only if India decided to pull back its troops from occupied Kashmir.

He said recently 400 companies of the Indian army had been sent to occupied Kashmir to hold ‘sham polls’, which, he said had provoked a fresh surge of attacks by the Mujahideen. More Indian troops in the occupied Kashmir meant more attacks on them, he added.

Hashmi said it was in India’s own interest to pull back troops from Kashmir and take measures to amicably resolve this issue.

“Otherwise, the Mujahideen will give tough time to India in the days to come”, he said.