Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has asked the central government to seize the opportunity and initiate dialogue with the separatist leadership as the later have expressed willingness to engage with the union government.
“In the past, union government and the top leadership at theCentre have engaged with the separatist leadership on multiple occasions. Thecentral government through various channels pursued such an engagement even inwhen the separatists didn’t respond positively to such offers. All thisunderlines the role and relevance of separatists in any process of meaningfuldialogue on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Now that the separatists have publically shown their willingness, theunion government must seize this opportunity and initiate a dialogue in theinertest of the state as well as the country,” Mehbooba told reporters in Pulwama where she had gone to condole thedemise of senior party worker Master Abdul Gani Bhat.
Commenting on the curbs on civilian movement on the NationalHighway in wake of the ongoing AmarnathYatra, Mehbooba said that while the Yatra has been a symbol of interfaith amityin Kashmir for decades, these curbs have the potential of creating misgivings.
Mehbooba also visited Zainpora Shopian where she met thefamily of young party worker Irfan Hamid Lone who was recently killed bygunmen. Later she met several public deputations, who raised issues related todevelopment and governance in their respective areas.Former legislators of Pulwama, Wachi and othersenior party leaders accompanied the former Chief Minister on this occasion.