JAMMU, Nov 12: New chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday he would try to negotiate a withdrawal of troops from the troubled state provided separatist militants pledged to end violence.

“We will not hesitate in requesting troop withdrawal from the Kashmir valley, provided there is some undertaking or guarantee by the militants that innocent people will not be killed by militants in Kashmir,” he told reporters.

Mr. Azad told reporters in Jammu he would not be able to negotiate a troop withdrawal unless the killings by rebels stopped.—AFP