Tuesday, March 21 2006 20:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Asking the government to carry forward its initiative to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, members in the Lok Sabha today (Mar 21 2006) said national interest should be protected at all cost.

Initiating a discussion on the outcome of the round-table conference on Kashmir held in February, Lal Singh (Cong) said Pakistan had no role to play in these efforts.

"Who is Pakistan to speak to us. They want to capture the state," he said adding the presence of military, army and para-military forces should continue.

Taking a swipe at parties in J&K supporting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's statement of self-rule in the state, Singh said "is there self-rule in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?"

He demanded that voting rights should be given to all refugees who migrated to Jammu and Kashmir during partition.

"They are uneducated, unemployed and not getting any facilities," the member said.

BJP's Avinash Rai Khanna supported the demand and said refugees should be given right to vote.

On peace talks, he said the government should not bow to any pressure.

He said government should involve Kashmiri Pandits in the peace process. "If those who raised raised guns can be called, why not those who braved the bullets," Khanna said.