Dialogue with Pak Necessary to End Bloodshed, Says J&K CM Mufti

She also said that any attempt for a dialogue would be called out as ‘anti-national’ by certain media houses.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. 

(Photo: Reuters)

Two days after a militant attack on the Sunjwan Army Camp in Jammu and Kashmir, the state’s Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking at the assembly, urged for a dialogue between India and Pakistan on the growing terrorism.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly also observed silence as a mark of tribute to the Army soldiers killed in the terrorist attack at Sunjuwan army camp.

Speaking on the attack, Mufti acknowledged that any attempt for a dialogue on her side would be called out as ‘anti-national’ by certain media houses.

Unfortunately, some media houses have created an atmosphere that if we talk of dialogue (with Pakistan) then we are labelled as anti-national.

Mufti then went on to state that although India had fought and won wars against Pakistan, this had come at the cost of the lives of jawans and civilians, and these deaths could be stopped through dialogue.

We fought and won all wars against Pakistan, but even today, there is no solution other than dialogue. For how long will our jawans and civilians keep dying?

She also questioned as to how the said media houses would have reacted if erstwhile Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were to have initiated dialogue with Pakistan.

Wonder what some media houses would have called Atalji if he took the bus to Lahore in today’s time and talked of dialogue?

Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah too, urged for the central government to take a tough stand against terrorism that had the hit the state.

Abdullah warned Pakistan against the state of terrorism by saying that it would create increasing troubles for them, to the extent that nothing would be left.

<i>Jitna aatankwad badhega, utni musibat aayegi, aur unke mulq me jyada musibat aayegi. Waha kuch bhi nahi rahega. Agar yahi surat rahi to Hindustan ki hukumat ko bhi sochna padega ki agla kadam kya hoga. (The rise in terrorism will bring a lot of troubles with it, and even more troubles for their nation. Nothing will remain there. If this continues then the Indian government will have to think about the next step.) </i>

Militants attacked the Sunjwan army camp near Jammu in the wee hours of Saturday, 10 February. Six persons, including five army men and the father of a jawan, died while ten others were injured in the attack. At least three militants were also gunned down.

On Monday, 12 February, security forces foiled an attempted attack at a CRPF camp in Srinagar’s Karan Nagar. Local reports suggest that one CRPF jawan was killed in the gunfire exchange that ensued.