New Delhi: In a major move that could turn highly controversial, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid has reportedly written to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif asking him to persuade Hurriyat leaders and “militant youth”in Kashmir to agree to a ceasefire.
According to an Indian TV channel that posted a copy of the purported letter dated June 22, a few days before the Eid festival, Shahi Imam Syed Bukhari has said that Kashmir “faces dangerous destruction and devastation” and that the “paradise on earth” has today become an abattoir. He also wrote that the common people in Kashmir find their dreams of peace shattered and are living in a state of terror.
Reacting to the report, Indian Government sources said they were verifying if such a letter had been written before reacting.
Pointing out that dialogue is the only way to solve the Kashmir issue and that it cannot be solved through “guns and stones”, the Shahi Imam is quoted as saying that “millions of Indian Muslims are also facing a trying situation” and that Indian Muslims are directly affected whenever ties between the two countries are tense. The prominent Indian Muslim cleric also apparently wrote that he along with the Indian Muslims appeal to the Pakistan PM to ease tension on the borders, normalise the situation and initiate dialogue between the two countries.
