Mehbooba Mufti (Express)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked the Centre to find “ways and means” to “put an end to the cycle of killings and violence in Kashmir”.
Mufti is learnt to have told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a 25-minute meeting that the situation in Kashmir is “grim, and people are getting killed regularly”. She said it is “urgent” to find a way to put a stop to this, and asked how to save lives and reach out to the people, sources said. Sources said that Mufti also asked for initiation of the dialogue process to address “alienation, especially among the youth”.
According to sources, Modi told Mufti that the Centre has already appointed a representative for the state in Dineshwar Sharma and “he has been again and again asking people to talk to him”. According to a press release issued by the J&K CM’s office later, while “reiterating her demand for peaceful engagement with all stakeholders, the Chief Minister sought more frequent meetings at the highest levels between the two countries (India and Pakistan). She also favoured the idea that the two Army commands be in touch to minimise tension across the borders…”
Sources said Mufti “stressed upon the need to have some kind of movement forward” so that “the state government gets an opening to calm the situation”.
Mufti also met Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later. Sources said the meeting was primarily focussed on the issue of land under the Army in J&K.