Calling stone throwers, militants as ‘Gareeb ke Bacchhe’, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday appealed to the Centre to find a “middle path” for ending the cycle of violence in the Valley which was consuming the lives of ‘poor youth’ and ‘security forces’.
“The stones and guns are in the hands of poor (youth). We have to find a middle path to ensure that these boys do not get killed and our army men and policemen also do not get killed,” she said.
Earlier, as a part of biannual Durbar Move, government offices opened in Srinagar after a six month sojourn in Jammu, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti received the traditional guard of honour on her arrival to the civil secretariat.
However, internet blockade continues in the valley since past three days.
Reacting to yesterday’s bloodbath in Shopian in which 10 people, including five civilians were killed by the armed forces in Shopian, Mehbooba said, “Allah has sent us to Earth to live a good life. Islam doesn’t permit us to embrace death at this [young] age.”
On Sunday, five civilians and as many militants were killed in the gun fight that took place in Shopian on Sunday. The civilians were killed in clashes which followed the gun fight.
Among the killed militants was Saddam Padder, a top Hizb commander and the missing Assistant Professor of the Kashmir University Dr. Mohammad Rafi Bhat.
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Reacting over the killing of the professor, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said that his death is the answer to those who say that jobs is the solution to violence and alienation in Kashmir.
Mehbooba had also expressed deep anguish and grief over the death of five civilians and reiterated that that gun, either way of a militant or that of security forces, is no solution for resolving issues.
