IoK Under Heavy Security for Manmohan Singh Visit

SRINAGAR: IoK Under Heavy Security for Manmohan Singh Visit, Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) was under tight security Wednesday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was due to arrive in the insurgency in the region affected by a two-day trip.

Singh will inaugurate a railway line in the southern district of Anantnag and later hold talks with senior officials, an official spokesman.

Pro-independence Kashmiri leaders have called a general strike against the visit of Singh, which came a day after Muslim-majority Kashmir valley closed to protest the start of the occupation of India in the picturesque region on 27 October 1947.

“The prime minister and security review major development projects in the state,” said the spokesman, adding security had been reinforced by his stay in occupied Kashmir.

In the district of Anantnag special commandos were deployed for the opening of Singh of the railway line is an extension of an open line for him last October.

Some roads in the state of Srinagar, summer capital have also been sealed as Singh will be holding meetings with city officials.

The visit comes as India has offered new talks with Kashmiri separatists leaders.

Home Minister of India P. Chidambaram recently said that New Delhi would “quiet diplomacy and quiet dialogue” with all shades of politicians in IOK, including prominent pro-independence All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), the party leaders.

The latest talks between the leaders in favor of independence for Kashmir and New Delhi were held in 2006.

The region is in the grip of a 20-year insurgency against Indian occupation until now has left over 47,000 dead, but violence has dropped significantly since the start of a peace process between India and Pakistan in 2004.