Guns can't get us justice: Mehbooba Mufti's I-Day message to Pakistan

Srinagar: Urging the Pakistan government to come forward for talks, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said be it guns from India or across the border, it cannot get them justice.

"You can come for discussion. If this can't give us any solution, then no gun can get us justice, be it our guns or guns of the militants. The fault is not with the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor is it with India...the problem has been with the leadership of the state over the years," Mehbooba said after unfurling the tri-colour on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

She said Prophet Mohammad has said that Muslims should give due respect even if an enemy comes to their homes but Pakistan did not do so when Singh went there. "I appeal to leadership of India and Pakistan that there has been enough bloodshed now. Now River Jhelum has no capacity to soak more blood. Please come together," she said.

Read: Tricolour falls during hoisting by Mehbooba Mufti, probe ordered

Mehbooba told Pakistan: "If you love Jammu and Kashmir, then let us remove the borders between this Kashmir and that Kashmir without hurting the integrity of either of the country. Let us make Jammu and Kashmir model of development, cooperation and peace in SAARC region."

She alleged that the entire national leadership from Jawaharlal Nehru's time till today is responsible for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "Encounters have taken place in the past and will continue to take place. But I don't understand what is my government's fault. I promise that action will be taken against the police and security forces, who went against my directions," she added.

Mufti expressed hope that Modi-led government at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and economic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state.

"...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.

The Chief Minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country. "If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country.”

"If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said.

"It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.

Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to go with the BJP.

"But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Behari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.

She lashed out at Pakistan for not giving good welcome to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who visited there for a SAARC conference earlier this month and said an opportunity to resume talks with India had been missed.

"PM Modi went to Pakistan in December (last year) and then Pathankot happened. Despite some militant organisations openly supporting the unrest in Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh went to Pakistan for SAARC Conference where some countries even went unrepresented.”

"May be the objective was to start a dialogue that could lead to somewhere but I wonder why Pakistan let this opportunity go!" she said.

Meanwhile, in a deeply embarrassing moment for Mehbooba, the national tricolor fell off the post as she hoisted it.

Mehbooba, who was hoisting the national flag as Chief Minister for the first time, pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolor fall from the post and land on the ground.

Amid the embarrassing situation, two personnel from the security detail of the Chief Minister held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute to the flag.

As Mehbooba left the stage for inspecting the contingents of the police and paramilitary forces, the security staff at the Bakshi Stadium hurriedly set the flag right and hoisted it atop the post.

The celebrations were being held just seven KMS away from Nowhatta, where six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured and 1 killed in an attack by the terrorists earlier in the day.

Many parts of Srinagar, including the Nowhatta area, have been under curfew since the security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani earlier on July 8.

More than 50 people have died and thousands have been injured in clashes between the protesters and security forces since then.