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Resume Indo-Pak talks: Mehbooba

JAMMU: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today advocated resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue process, saying better and friendly relations are in the best interest of Jammu and Kashmir.

Resume Indo-Pak talks: Mehbooba

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during the Budget session in the Legislative Assembly in Jammu on Monday. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh



Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 16

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today advocated resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue process, saying better and friendly relations are in the best interest of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have to find the issues of common interest and common benefit between the two countries and move ahead,” she said while winding up the discussion on motion of thanks on the Governor’s address in the Legislative Council today.

“We can’t alter our geographical and historical boundaries with the neighbouring country and will have to resume the dialogue process from where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had left it. The dialogue with Pakistan was resumed even after the Kargil war and the attack on Parliament. This time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked an extra mile and visited Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Pathankot airbase attack took place. Both countries have to find the issues of common interest and benefits,” she said.

Mehbooba Mufti also favoured sharing of resources with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and opening of trade and travel routes between the divided parts of J&K.

Regarding the withdrawal of security forces from the state, the Chief Minister said the success of security forces depended on their ability on how quickly they could create conducive atmosphere for revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state.

“It will be the success of security forces as how fast they put an end to infiltration and militancy to pave way for revocation of the AFSPA. We are hopeful that it will happen soon. In the working group recommendations, everyone had favoured that all stringent laws need to be done away with,” Mehbooba said.

Highlighting the pluralistic ethos of the state, Mehbooba said this was evident during the unrest last year when despite curfew, Amarnath yatris injured in an accident were rescued and treated by local people, a Pandit marriage was solemnised by Muslim neighbours when nobody could dare to venture out or when many of Kashmiri parents sent their wards to Jammu for studying.

Rehab of unrest-hit people

The Chief Minister said a large number of those killed, blinded, injured or affected in any way during unrest in the Valley belonged to very poor families and many of them were orphans who had nobody to guide. As such, the rehabilitation of their kin or the injured lay with the government, she said. “I announced setting up of Special Investigating Teams to probe these killings besides announcing ex ratia,” she informed the House.

Compensation announced

Mehbooba said on a similar pattern, victims of the Amarnath land row in the state during 2008 would also be paid ex gratia and other financial compensation. Similarly, the kin of Chamail Singh, a civilian from the Paragwal area of Jammu province killed in Pakistan jail in 2013, would also be duly compensated. She said her government won’t differentiate on the basis of caste, creed or colour when it comes to the rehabilitation of its people.

The Chief Minister said only 138 persons had been detained by the police for questioning and 370 persons had been booked under the Public Safety Act. Their status was being reviewed on case-to-case basis. Saying she had directed the police not to re-arrest a person whose detention had been quashed by a court, Mehbooba said instead parents of the detainee should be taken into confidence while counselling him to shun the path of violence.

‘Amend Wildlife Act’

Deputy Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi on Monday directed the government to come up with the necessary amendments to the Wildlife Act regarding the man-animal conflict. The directions in this regard were given by Nazir during a debate on general discussion on Budget 2017-18 after MLA Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, supported by other members, raised the issue on the floor of the House.

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