Mehbooba Mufti visits Kargil, promises to boost tourism in district

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today visited Kargil for the first time after entering into an alliance with the BJP in the state. While talking about the present socio-political scenario of the state, Mufti said that the coalition with BJP was to facilitate the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir.

Giving her remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, she said that she saw the reflection of Atal Bihar Vajpayee in Modi. "As the Prime Minister has spoken about embracing the people of Kashmir, we hope that Modi jee will come with a sound policy on Kashmir and will keep his promise. After the end of Kargil war, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated a peace process by doing cease-fire with Pakistan, but unrest still prevails on border areas in Jammu and Kashmir. We hope that the present Prime Minister will walk on the same path and initiate a peace process between the two countries and in Kashmir," said Mufti.

While lauding the patriotism of the people of Kargil and the environment of peace and tranquillity in Kargil, she said that Kashmir was in dearth of a similar peace.

"I witnessed school children welcoming us with happiness, our children in Kashmir are lacking this sense of happiness due to conflict and the unrest. Kargil region can be considered as hub of cultural and religious pluralism and also a centre of peace in the state," she said.

Mehbooba Mufti, talking about the opening of Cross LoC routes, said that opening the routes can initiate a process of trade in the region and Jammu-Kashmir can further reclaim its status of Gateway to the Central Asia.

"Opening strategic routes is in our agenda of alliance and we will put our best efforts to open strategic routes like Kargil-SKardu and Turtuk-Khaplu road so that the trade and peace process will begin here," she said.

Mufti added that late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had a soft corner for the people of Kargil and promised to boost tourism activities in the district. Mega projects like construction of Zojila Tunnel and Kargil Zanksar highway are already in consideration for the same.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said that the coalition would bring a new phase of development in Kargil. "I applaud the patriotism and sacrifice of the people of Kargil. I appreciate the the way they have defeated the nefarious designs of anti-national think tanks. We will initiate 10 developmental projects in the future and it is in our consideration," Nirmal Singh said.

Minister of Works and development Naeem Akhtar said that the tendering process has been completed and the construction of tunnel on Zojila will start from five different places and a mega project of 4200 crore has been allocated for connecting two lane Kargil-Zanskar highway.

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