India's non-paper proposed more autonomy for Kashmir: report

Prior to the Mumbai blasts, India had proposed to Pakistan large doses of autonomy to Kashmir within constitutional limits, freedom for non-terror detainees and troop reduction in the valley if militancy ended, a newspaper claimed today.

The daily Nation, quoting unnamed officials, said the Indian proposals were contained in a "non-paper" sent to Pakistan.

One of the proposals envisaged the return of Jammu and Kashmir to its pre-1953 constitutional state -- which means all its affairs, except defence, foreign matters and communications, would be run by the state government, the daily said.

Last month Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri had said Islamabad had received the "non paper" from India in response to President Pervez Musharraf's suggestions for resolution of Kashmir issue, and it was being discussed before the Mumbai blasts temporarily halted bilateral peace talks.

Musharraf had suggested demilitarisation, self governance and joint management as solutions, but Kasuri said differences on this remained, and the two sides had been working on narrowing them down before the July 11 Mumbai attacks.

The officials said no discussions on the proposals were likely soon, but if the peace process resumed they could become the basis for formal talks between the two countries.

The non-paper, a diplomatic term for an unofficial document, also reportedly offered to reduce troops if the militant attacks aided from across the border were stopped and expressed its willingness to set free all detainees who were not charged with terrorism related offences.

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