‘J&K issue not for roads but bigger cause’
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 2: Former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today said that the Jammu and Kashmir issue was not about roads and development but a “far bigger issue” and urged parents to advise their children to shun violence as it is not a solution to any problem.
While addressing party workers in Anantnag district of South Kashmir, she said: “Jammu and Kashmir issue is not about roads and lanes but a far bigger issue. When there is peace, roads and lanes would be laid automatically. They can even be made by DDC members elected recently.”
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have been living through uneasiness and anxiety for the last 70 years. Thousands of people have been sacrificed whether a militant, a surrendered militant, a common man, a policeman or a security forces personnel,” Mehbooba said.
“There are 10 lakh soldiers and their presence signifies that a Kashmiri has an issue which needs resolution”, she said.
She added that whatever India has taken away should be returned with interest.
“Why are you getting angry? If I do not ask you, should I ask Pakistan? We are asking for a return from the Parliament which snatched our respect and pride. Snatched our identity,” she said, adding, “people of Kashmir have been fighting from the last 70 years irrespective of methodology adopted.”
She urged people to advise their children not to take up arms. “Please ask my children not to wield gun because violence is not a solution to any problem”, she said.
Referring to farmers’ protest, the PDP president said that none of them carries a gun or stone in their hand. “Today you can see that the world is advocating their cause. Why they do not advocate our cause? It is because we have been bracketed as terrorists so as to delegitimise our aspirations and our struggle,” she said.
“What does gun brings? Our minors get killed. See Athar Mushtaq of Below Rajpora Pulwama, I think he had just passed 10th and entered 11th standard, and he died at (Lawaypora) HMT. His father seeks body. He called me that his son is buried in Sonamarg and urged me to get permission so that he could properly lay him in the grave there now. This is limit of injustice. Should we talk about it or remain silent?,” she said.
Approaches court for passport
People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has approached the High Court seeking direction to passport authorities and others to issue expeditiously the passport in her favour.
Mehbooba through Advocate filed the petition in which she pleaded that her passport was valid up to May 2019 as such she had applied for issuance of passport before Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar on 11.12.2020 and the police verification has also been sought from Additional Director General of Police CID and Superintendent of Police Srinagar in this regard.
She added that the report as sought by the Passport Officer has not been submitted by the SSP Srinagar compelling her to file a representation requesting therein that the verification report be submitted as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of External Affairs Government of India at an earliest so that no delay is caused in issuance of passport in her favour.
In the petition she said that despite the representation, the SSP for known reasons till date has not forwarded the police verification report to the Passport Officer Srinagar and submitted that the administrative delay is a facet of arbitrariness and against the rule of law.
“The petitioner has a right to hold a Passport in terms of the mandate of Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the delay in issuing the same is an act which is not in conformity with the Constitutional mandate and the provision of Passport Act”, she mentioned in her plea.
She apart from seeking direction of issuance of Passport in her favour has also sought direction that action of authorities for not allowing her to travel abroad be declared as illegal and unconstitutional which (travel to abroad) has been guaranteed her under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
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