The Hindu : Motivate militants to give up arms, says Mehbooba

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002

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Motivate militants to give up arms, says Mehbooba

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU DEC. 23. The People's Democratic Party leader, Mehbooba Mufti, has appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to motivate the "misguided" youth who have picked up arms to give up the path of violence.

Addressing a meeting, she said: "It is the people of the State who can motivate the misguided youth so that those who took up guns will shun violence. The youth may have picked up arms for various reasons and I do not want to go into the validity of the reasons. But the time has come when this should be known from the pages of history that the gun yields nothing but only brings miseries to the people and its users".

Claiming that the violence had caused immense harm to the State, she said, "The new Government is trying its best to bring the State back to normality. The new Government, in its short stint, has taken measures to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth. Though we need the liberal assistance of the Central Government for effective implementation of the schemes formulated by way of utilisation of the rich and available resources of the State, the new Government is trying to play its part with utmost sincerity and honesty".

Condemning the killing of the PDP MLA, Abdul Aziz Mir, Ms. Mufti said the affected family would be well taken care of by the Government.

Shah condemns killing

The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party leader, Shabir Shah, today termed Mir's killing as "a crime against democracy".

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Shah said: "I firmly belief that nobody should be killed for his political beliefs. Everyone has a right to believe in his own political thought and ideology. Tolerance of political beliefs is the true test for any civilised group or person. The killers of innocent women and children in various areas of Jammu region are non-believers in peace".

Describing those who killed women as the "biggest enemies of Islam", Mr. Shah said, "Islam as a religion teaches compassion and it has accorded equal status to women. Nobody has the right to kill someone in the name of religion".

Condemning the killing of the three children at Surankote area of Jammu region, he said: "Nobody's children should be killed just because his father is suspected of being an informer. I am against the killing of innocents. The fight can go on between the soldiers and freedom fighters but I am against the killings of innocents".

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