Troops reduction if terror stops: PM

Srinagar: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government could consider reducing the strength of troops in Jammu and Kashmir if terrorism was under control.

He also declared that the Government was ready to talk to anyone who abandoned violence to faciliate a resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Addressing a press conference at the end of the second two-day roundtable on Kashmir, he said ''we can consider all options, including the reduction of troops, if the terrorist acts go down.''

On whether the Centre would consider a ceasefire in order to create a ''conducive'' atmosphere for militants to participate in the talks, Dr Singh said the Centre was ''ready to talk to anybody who shuns violence and abandons the path of terror.''

However, without directly responding to whether a ceasefire could be considered, the Prime Minister said that ''ways and means'' to hold talks could be worked out.

He noted that the security personnel were tasked with protecting the life and property of the inhabitants of the state. ''If the basic cause (for their stay) is removed, all options can be considered,'' he added.

Asked if he expected the Hurriyat Conference to be on board when the next roundtable was held, he said he was ''not an astrologer.'' ''I have not lost the hope that all those who favour a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue will work together.''

He said the armed forces were in Kashmir to protect the lives and property of innocent people. ''I can't deny that excessives have been committed... aberrations do take place but they should not become a norm.''

He also said he had asked the security forces to show zero tolerance for human rights violations.

On the Peoples' Democratic Party's (PDP) demand for troops reduction and demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said ''our forces are not forces of occupation...they are here to protect the life and property of our citizens.''

''If terrorist actions go down, there is no reason to keep the armed forces in same numbers,'' he said.

Dr Singh said the Centre was paying constant attention to the issue. ''If terrorist acts are under control, we can consider all these options.''