Mehbooba Mufti Questions Pakistan’s Love for Jammu and Kashmir

Mufti complimented the BSF for showing restraint in recent attacks in Bijbehara.

File photo of Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: Reuters)

Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday condemned the recent militant attack on the Border Security Force (BSF) convoy in Bijbehara and questioned Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir.

First Pathankot airbase attack and then these type of incidents, Pakistan must think over it, if you [Pakistan] love the people of Kashmir, then this is not the way to express it. People might have supported all this post-1987 elections but they do not support it any longer.

Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir 

Mufti complimented the BSF for showing restraint in the situation, by not firing in retaliation. Retaliatory fire from the BSF could have snowballed into a Handwara-like situation.

What did they get by killing the BSF personnel who come to do their duty in the valley? There were civilians in the area, children, old aged, had the BSF retaliated how many civilians casualties would have taken place.

People protest in Handwara. (Photo: PTI)

Putting Her Foot Down

The chief of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also took the opportunity to take on the separatists, and blamed them for raking up moot points in an attempt to destabilise the state.

She went on to say that it was wrong for the separatists to demand Kashmiri Pandit’s to be relocated to their native villages as the situation on ground does not allow for it.

Claiming that in an environment where even the Muslim leaders of the state do not feel comfortable staying in remote villages without security, it would be unfair on the Pandit’s to be thrown directly into the deep end.

We cannot ask the Kashmiri Pandits to return to their villages, they need a place to live for some time in the Valley from where they can later return to their villages. Even the leaders and party workers who are Muslims and need security guards are forced to stay in guest houses in the villages of the valley.

Condemning the call given by Hurriyat Conference for a shutdown in Kashmir on Friday, BJP said the opposition to the establishment of a Sainik Colony in the Valley was “unjustified”.

We condemn the call given by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other Hurriyat leaders for a shutdown in Valley today. A soldier while defending his motherland or fellow countrymen does not differentiate between any region and religion.

Brigadier Anil Gupta, BJP State Spokesperson

(With PTI inputs.)