J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti talks about sacrifices not going to waste in her address after violence

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, in her first public address after violence broke out in the state, has said that she would not let 'sacrifices' of the people, killed by police and paramilitary forces, go waste, even while urging the Centre to start talks with all stakeholders, including Pakistan.
The people's sacrifices should help to create an environment in Kashmir to resume the peace process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Mufti Sayeed in 2002, she said. However, she added that at the moment the situation in the state was not conducive and any announcement, even by the Union home minister Rajnath Singh, would have no impact on ground.

Addressing party workers on the 17th raising day of the People's Democratic Party, Mufti claimed that the police and Army had no idea that Hizb militant Burhan Wani, whose killing triggered the ongoing crisis, was trapped in the encounter in south Kashmir on July 8. Hence, the government could not prepare fully to tackle the repercussions, like Omar Abdullah did, after the hanging of Afzal Guru, about which he had prior information.

She said that some parties and influential people were bent on amplifying the crisis and have been instigating people to attack police stations and Army camps to trigger violence. According to Mufti, some of the weapons looted from police stations were not found in houses of militants in Noorabad but in the houses of some other people.

"This time I am not talking about Hurriyat leaders. They are in their houses. There are some other people, even senior government employees, who foment trouble and instigate violence," Mufti told the gathering of party workers, alluding to the National Conference, while assuring people of providing government jobs immediately.

Taking a dig at Hurriyat leaders, Mufti said that even if the ongoing unrest and strike continued for three months, it would bring no change on the history of Kashmir. "Pakistan has duty to help us and understand that dialogue process will progress in peacetime, not in warlike situation," said Mufti. The wars of 1965, 71and Kargil, which India won, had not changed the propriety of even an inch of land on either side of the border, Mufti said.

"People are on roads because of an idea. It has to be changed with confidence-building measures. There should be environment like what happened during Vajpayee's time," the chief minister said. The chief minister added that if she was not able to fulfill the dream and goal set by her father, she will not remain CM.