Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti calls for dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir

Almost 70 people have been killed in clashes with security forces.

Mufti who came to Indian capital city on Friday evening met Modi at his residence in the morning and discussed prevailing situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir that is on boil for the past 50 days. They have no rights.

Ms. Mufti said Pakistan was trying to trying to take advantage of the present unrest and provoking more violence in the state. Mujhe khushi hai ki Modi ji ne na sirf pehle apni oath ceremony mein Nawaz Sharif sahab ko bulaya, balki khud Lahore chale gaye.

She recalled the words of her late father and predecessor Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who had said the Kashmir issue could be solved only by Mr. Modi, who had been voted to office with a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. She said it was for Pakistan to show its sincerity in seeking peaceful resolution of Kashmir.

Mehbooba said she pitched for talks “with all stakeholders” to end the current impasse. What else can we do? That included no change in borders, phased demilitarisation, self-governance and joint supervision by Islamabad and New Delhi for both sides of the state divided between India and Pakistan. Mufti had this week said in a joint press conference with Rajnath Singh that 95 per cent people in the Valley wanted peace, and it was just the 5 per cent that were creating trouble.

The Jammu and Kashmir government headed by Mehbooba Mufti is planning to take action against 400 local leaders who are fuelling protests in the Kashmir valley.

“I think everybody wants peace in the valley”. “Meri madad kijiye (help me)”.

She can rein in, pacify, or engage the separatists only with the help of the Union government, where the ruling party happens to be her ally in the state. This will be the first meeting between the two after unrest broke out in the valley. The lockdown has affected the normal life in the region with people often defying restrictions and hitting roads demanding end to New Delhi’s rule.

Earlier this week, Mr. Modi had a meeting with a delegation of opposition parties from the state led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He had also made an appeal for restoration of normalcy in the Valley and emphasised that there has to be a dialogue.

It further said that these special envoys will have the “strength of Pakistani people, prayers from the Kashmiri people across the Line of Control, mandate of the parliament and support from the government”.

Suspected militants killed a police constable, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, in a south Kashmir village on Saturday morning when he was leaving for duty. “I believe that Modiji, who took a bold step of going there, today again says we need to talk to our own people, because people are dying”, she said. On one side, you tell youth to attack security forces and army camps. “The situations of 2010 and present can not be compared”.

“She is not the conventional politician that we deal with most of the times”.