CEASEFIRE CALL NOT BEFORE SUNDAY

NEW DELHI: The Centre may consider taking a “long-term view” on extending the suspension of operations against militants despite a spike in violence in Kashmir, which on Thursday witnessed the killing of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari, government officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not rule out an extension in the ‘ceasefire’, which was announced by the Union government on May 16 so that people could “observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment”.

Another person aware of the developments, however, said another school of thought was of the view that a ceasefire extension would be a bad idea because of security concerns.

He said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members from the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the party had conveyed to the Centre that the spate of attacks in Kashmir were reason enough to suspend the ceasefire.

A Rashtiya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary, who asked not to be named, also described the ceasefire as a confidencebuilding measure that had not worked.

A senior government official said Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative to J&K, was scheduled to visit Srinagar on Monday as part of a larger strategy to open dialogue with the separatist leadership.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh — who briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening about the developments in Kashmir, where thousands were mourning Bukhari’s death — told reporters he would not comment on the ceasefire decision before Sunday.