Mehbooba holds Pakistan responsible for border flare-up

Holding Pakistan responsible for the latest border flare up, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday described the killings along the border during Ramzan as highly unfortunate.

“The border killings are occurring when the holy month of Ramzan has begun...people had heaved a sigh of relief due to the Centre’s welcome step of halting security operations in the state,” she said while interacting with the families whose kin were killed in cross border shelling at Arnia and R S Pura in Jammu during past few days.

Mehbooba said the people of the state, who have gone through very tough times in the past, want to live a peaceful life, free from violence and killings.

“The Centre’s move of halting security operations has generated a hope among people, who expect positive reciprocation to it by all stakeholders...,” she said.

Stating that violence has never yielded anything, Mehbooba said, “World over people are entering into peaceful engagement, as acrimony and violence has led them nowhere except deaths, destruction and devastation.”

The way North and South Korea decided to engage peacefully is an encouraging signal to the entire world that issues, no matter how complex can only be settled through negotiations as violence only kills, both humans and spirits, she added.

On the occasion, the chief minister disbursed cash assistance of Rs 1 lakh each among the families whose kin were killed in the recent cross-border shelling.