From correspondents in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, 10:05 PM IST

Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday evening ruled out lifting the ban on pre-paid mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir in the near future.

Addressing a press conference in Jammu in the evening, the home minister said there were security concerns that guided the decision of his ministry.

The announcement has dealt a serious blow to the leadership of Kashmir that was hoping for an announcement reversing the ban.

The state has nearly four million pre-paid connections. The ban came into effect Nov 1.

-- Indo Asian News Service

bj/rn/vt

(Staff Writer, © IANS)