Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday said gun was not a solution to any problem.
Addressing a party convention at Dak Bungalow Khanabal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Mehbooba said Athar Mushtaq of Belov, Pulwama had just passed 12th exam when he was killed at Lawaypora.
“His father was only seeking his body. He called me and told me that his son was buried in Sonmarg. He pleaded to at least help him in getting permission to bury his son in their graveyard. This is the height of injustice. Should we talk about it or remain silent. The choice is yours,” she said.
The former chief minister said that she would never shy from asking New Delhi to restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Whatever you have snatched from us has to be returned to us with interest. When I seek same from you (New Delhi) to return us why do you get angry? If I don’t seek it from you, who should I seek from? Should I ask China or Pakistan,” she said.
“I will keep demanding it from the parliament which unconstitutionally and undemocratically robbed us of our pride, dignity, and identity by revoking the special status on 5th August 2019,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP chief urged Kashmiris not to lose hope and fight for their rights.
“Kashmiris have been fighting for the past 70 years, whatever the methods. But once our youth pick up arms, we are bracketed as terrorists to delegitimise our struggle and aspirations. So, I urge you to advise your children against taking up arms,” she said.
The former chief minister said that the world was recognising the farmer’s struggle in India because none of them was carrying a gun or stone in their hands.
She reiterated that Kashmir issue was not about development but far bigger.
“J&K issue is not about roads and lanes. You will get those facilities automatically when we have peace. It can be done by even a DDC member,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP chief said uncertainty and uneasiness prevails in Kashmir for the past 70 years and to address it, there was a need to resolve the issue.
“Thousands of people have sacrificed, whether a militant, a civilian, a policeman, or paramilitary forces personnel. The presence of tens of thousands of forces in Kashmir indicates that we have an issue at hand that needs to be resolved,” she said.
Senior PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, and Javed Sheikh, who is also the vice-chairman District Development Board Anantnag, also addressed the gathering.