Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 21: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today asked Pakistan to stop cross-border infiltration for creating an environment conducive for peace talks.
Mehbooba while addressing the Police Commemoration Day function at Armed Police Complex here today said that any strain in Indo-Pak relations directly influences the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “Pakistan has to understand that the two countries share the border and to bring peace in the region, start a dialogue, the infiltration must stop.”
She said Pakistan’s cooperation in maintaining peace in Jammu and Kashmir is necessary. “Even Pakistan has to help us as we both have to live together. Pakistan must understand we are neighbors and Indians, Pakistanis are the same people,” she added.
She said that it is heartening to note that despite prevailing charged atmosphere in the region the peace bus on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road and the cross-LoC trade through Salamabad and Wagah continue to flourish.
The Chief Minister said that uncertainty and violence on borders impacts the local population most and derails the Government’s efforts for ushering in a new era of development in the State.
Referring to the internal and external peace process initiated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mehbooba said that today again with a robust mandate on his back, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has the opportunity to resolve Kashmir issue in the interest of the peace and stability of the State and the region. She urged Pakistan to reciprocate with open mind and in good faith the peace initiatives.
The Chief Minister said that the separatists seem to have missed the opportunity at starting a dialogue process, by spurning the parleys and not facilitating the solution.
She, however, said that she will plead with Centre to speak to all shades of opinion in the State including separatists for ending decades old uncertainty but conducive environment has to be created for the peace and resolution process to take shape, as talks can’t be held at gunpoint.
“Give peace a chance and I will again plead with the leadership in New Delhi to talk to all shades of the political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir, including the separatists, to end the decades’ old uncertainty in the region which has brought immense miseries to the people of my State,” Mehbooba said.
The Chief Minister said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would be revoked from the Kashmir Valley over a period of time only after militancy stops in the State. “We have to remove the AFSPA. But we need support for that. We can do it in intervals but the militancy has to stop,” she said.
“When the situation improves here, we will end the black laws. For that we have to create an atmosphere first. I know that today the situation is not such, but tomorrow, a year after… we have to repeal AFSPA as we cannot keep it in force forever”, Mehbooba said.
She said that for repealing AFSPA, an end to infiltration, militancy and restoration of peace is a must. “How can I do it today? There is infiltration, there are encounters. We have to end militancy and create peace in Jammu and Kashmir so that we can repeal AFSPA from some areas here,” she said.
Mehbooba urged the police to try to bring back to mainstream the youths who have fled their homes to join militancy, instead of their being killed in encounters. “Those who have taken up arms or those who have not but are missing from their homes and want to join militancy, they are local boys. I request the police to try to bring them back to their homes. Instead of their being killed in encounters, if it is possible to bring them back, make them a part of the mainstream, give them bats, balls and good education, instead of guns”, she said.
The Chief Minister said the police should deal with militants but civilians should not be troubled and such youths who have joined militancy or are missing from homes needed hand-holding.
Acknowledging that some mistakes were made during over 100 days of unrest, Mehbooba said she would make sure that security force personnel responsible for killing of innocent people, including a lecturer in Khrew, an ATM guard and young Junaid, are punished. “A small kid Junaid was killed? He had already left? I spoke to Union Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) about it and want the personnel responsible for the killing to be punished. Or the lecturer, who was killed? The ATM security guard who was killed. There are many things which should not have happened, I acknowledging that,” she said.
Chief Minister said she will make sure that all accused personnel will be punished for such incidents. “If someone from a family makes a mistake, he has to be punished to save the entire family and I’m very serious about it,” she said.
Mehbooba said that security forces have to do parenting rather than policing to help the youth who have been provoked by people with vested interest to protest violently on the streets.
She also sought help from security forces so that pellet guns get banned in Kashmir valley. “I want to ban pellet guns but it is possible only if you people (security forces) support the Government. Our children are always used as shields. We can’t force someone to talk by throwing stones on them. If we need a dialogue, we have to stop militancy,” she said.
Mehbooba said that the protests in Kashmir is a temporary phase and asked security forces to exercise restrain to save eyes of youth. “If there is an injury on you, but if we save a youth’s eyes or arms from pellet guns, then I think it will be your biggest sacrifice. Because this (protests) will not continue forever, it is temporary. But I need your cooperation,” she said.
While expressing deep anguish over the loss of civilian lives and injuries during the past three months, the Chief Minister said that the police and the security forces have been also facing challenging situation amid unrest. “The police and the security forces continue to face challenges in the State and especially the last three months have been extremely challenging for them,” she said.
She said every section of the society has suffered immensely because of the situation obtaining in Kashmir since July 8 this year. She said the schooling, transport and businesses have been worst affected by the turmoil and it is time to give people a chance to resume normal life as they are in immense distress and feel suffocated.
Mehbooba said that government will try to provide support to the people who suffered losses during the unrest. “The Government would try to provide whatever support is possible to the worst affected sections of the society,” she added.
Chief Minister said that Sate is confronted with various complex issues which sets it apart from simple law and order situation. She said her father joined hands with BJP not for power but for larger interests of the State. “Mufti Mohammad Sayeed joined hands with BJP to form a Government in the State not for the sake of power, but with the larger objective of resolving the political, economic and developmental issues concerning J&K and that is why it has been made clear in PDP-BJP Agenda of Alliance that the Government of India should start a dialogue process with all shades of political opinion in J&K, including the separatists”, she said.
Chief Minister said peace is imperative to implement the roadmap laid down in the ‘Agenda of Alliance’, which would be taken to the logical conclusion through tangible initiatives at the political, economic and administrative fronts.
Paying rich tributes to the police personnel who gave their lives, Chief Minister said the state will always remember their sacrifices rendered for upholding the law, safety and security of the people. “I salute our martyrs and their families for sacrificing in the line of duty and pray for their eternal peace”, she said.
The Chief Minister said that she is proud of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and wants it to be one of the elitist and the best in the country. She also made certain announcements on the occasion like increase in selection grade quota from 25 percent to 50 percent, KPS cadre review and career progression on lines of KAS and correction in pay anomalies.
Immediately upon her arrival, a Roll of Honour was presented in memory of those policemen who died in the past one year. She also laid floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial.
Earlier, DGP, K Rajendra Kumar read out the names of police personnel across the country, including the ones from J&K Police and from CRPF and BSF, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in the past one year.
The DGP also highlighted various welfare schemes run by J&K Police that provide financial assistance to the families of martyred police personnel, in particular towards their rehabilitation and education of children.
Also present to pay homage were Chief Secretary B R Sharma, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to CM, B B Vyas, DGP Law and Order, S P Vaid and other senior police officers including ADGPs, IGPs, DIGs and SSPs of J&K Police and the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar.
Chairman Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali, Deputy Chairman Legislative Council, Minister for Agriculture Production, Ghulam Nabi Lone, Minister for Cooperatives and Ladakh Affairs, Chering Dorjay, Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Minister of State for Hajj & Auqaf, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, Minister of State for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Cooperative and Fisheries, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, MLAs and MLCs were present on the occasion.
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