The Indian government has decided to extend its unilateral ceasefire against Kashmiri separatists and its duration will be announced tomorrow, a senior official said.
Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee decided to stay with the peace strategy in Kashmir despite a wave of attacks by rebels who said the truce was a ploy to win international sympathy. Earlier on Wednesday, he won the support of all political groups to extend the truce.
"The decision is to extend [the ceasefire] but the duration will be announced by the prime minister in parliament tomorrow," an official at the prime minister's office told reporters.
"It was a unanimous decision. We discussed the Jammu and Kashmir situation in all aspects and in detail," Home [interior] Minister Mr Lal Krishna Advani said after the cabinet committee on security headed by Mr Vajpayee met to discuss the issue.
India, aiming to usher in peace talks, had imposed the unprecedented ceasefire to coincide with the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in November and then extended it twice. The current ceasefire is due to expire on February 26.