A People’s Democratic Party team met Prime Minister Vajpayee today and handed over a memorandum to him. The eight-member team was led by party vice-president Mehbooba Mufti.The memorandum praised Vajpayee for ‘‘searching for a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem in its external and internal dimensions by not traversing the beaten track and by being far-sighted, bold and innovative.’’The party maintained that the only practical approach for finding a just and practible solution to the Kashmir problem in one of the dailogue and reconciliation. The PDP, the memorandum says, recommends a comprehensive and generous economic package for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the state.For this, it suggests, the state government be given a 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan. The Centre should release these benefits retrospectively from the date the state was given a special status, it said, adding there should be counter-guarentees to international companies to invest in the power sector.The PDP stressed that qualified unemployed youth be offered reservations in PSUs in the country. The Centre should also grant a three per cent quota in technical and professional institutions all over the country to students of the state.Meanwhile, there will be no curfew in any part of Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar city as was expected, following the killing of senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone, authorities said today. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Parvez Dewan said that there will be no curfew in any part of Kashmir Valley including Srinagar. Terming the slaying of Lone as ‘‘unfortunate’’, he said there will be no restrictions on Lone’s funeral procession.
