Mehbooba meets Rajnath: Pitches for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue to end present phase of acrimony
Srinagar, Oct 23: PDP President and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today again appealed Centre for the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the present phase of acrimony and confrontation between the two south Asian neighbouring States.
According to party spokesman in her meeting with Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh here today, Mehbooba Mufti said good relations with Pakistan have a positive impact on the ground situation in the State and it also encourages reconciliation among stakeholders within the State which automatically results into decline in alienation levels of people.
“She reminded the Union Home Minister that in the past when the two countries were in the best of relations, Jammu & Kashmir not only witnessed an era of minimal violence but also reconciliation and peoples’ active participation in democratic and developmental processes,” said PDP spokesman in a statement.
Expressing concern over the prevailing situation in the State, the PDP President also impressed upon the Union Home Minister to ensure that civilian killings and collateral damage during security operations are avoided at all costs.
“She told Ranjnath Singh that she believed every civilian killing not only adds to the alienation level of people here but also pushes the democratic and developmental process in the State to the back burner,” he said.
“She asked the Union Home Minister to direct all the security agencies to exercise maximum restraint and follow strictly the SoPs as laid down while dealing with the security situations in the State to ensure that civilian lives and property are not put to any risk in these operations,” the spokesman added.
“The Union Home Minister, it may be recalled, is on a day-long visit to Srinagar today during which he met the PDP President and discussed the overall security situation in the State,” said PDP spokesman in a statement
