SRINAGAR – Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti onMonday called for holding talks with Pakistan to end the bloodshed in themilitancy-hit state.
“Dialogue with Pakistan is necessary if we are to end bloodshed (in thestate),” Mehbooba Mufti said in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
However, the PDP leader was quick to add that she will be dubbed”anti-national” by TV channels for making such an appeal.
“I know I will be labelled anti-national by news anchors tonight but thatdoesn`t matter. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are suffering. We have totalk because war is not an option,” the J&K CM said.
The appeal from the J&K CM comes amid a spurt in terror attacks across thestate as well as unending border clashes between Indian and Pakistanimilitaries.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Supreme Courtlink>todaysaid that no coercive action will be taken against Major Aditya Kumar,accused of allegedly killing three civilians in firing to disperse astone-pelting mob in Shopian district of Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Police had earlier registered an FIR against Major AdityaKumar.
The apex court ruling is a setback to J&K CM since the FIR against Armyofficer was registered at her orders.
Directing that no coercive action would be taken against the Army Major inpursuance to the FIR, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AMKhanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud sought the response from the Centreand the Mehbooba Mufti government in the state.
The father of the accused Major, Lt. Col. Karamveer Singh, had filed apetition in the apex court seeking quashing of the FIR.
The father contended that registration of FIR and the consequentproceedings would adversely impact the morale of the armed forces fightingmilitancy in the trouble-torn state.
The court asked for a copy of the petition to be served on the office ofthe Attorney General KK Venugopal.
Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the petitioner, urged thecourt to stay the FIR.
Major Aditya Kumar and other soldiers of the 10 Garhwal Rifles were accusedof opening fire on a stone-pelting mob which had attacked an administrativearmy convoy near Ganowpora village in Shopian district on January 27.
The firing resulted in the death of three persons.
“The manner in which the lodging of the FIR has been portrayed andprojected by the political leadership and administrative higher-ups of thestate reflects the extremely hostile atmosphere in the state,” the petitionsaid.
“In these circumstances, the petitioner is left with no other viable optionbut to approach this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of Indiafor protection of valuable Fundamental Rights of his son and himself,enshrined under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India,” the pleasaid.