War no option, not even last, PDP patron: Mufti Expressing serious concern over the rising tension along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said war was no option, not even the last. The intensity and frequency of ceasefire violations would suggest the decade long truce is all but crashing, Mr Sayeed told a news conference here. He said PDP will organise a peace march on November 4. Many frontier villages have already borne much brunt of the renewed acts of hostility and there have been reports of migration, injuries and deaths as a result of firing and shelling, he said. The former Chief Minister said the human cost of border violence is rising alarmingly. We express our deep sorrow at the killings and share the grief and pain of the families of the victims. People of the state had looked up to the Manmohan Singh-Nawaz Sharif summit in New York with great hope for revival of the peace process which lay in virtual tatters. But, unfortunately, the meeting failed even to restore normalcy on borders, not to speak of any proactive measures on the vision unfolded in 2003. Even the Director Generals of Military Operations (GMOs) of the two countries have not been able to follow up on the declaration by the Prime Ministers, he added. Mr Sayeed said that there has never been any dearth of hawks in the two neighbouring countries who would fan the fire of hostility and bullet for bullet policy. There have been wars on major and minor scales which brought destruction and misery to the people of the state. But those who advocate violence have themselves been at a safe distance from the nearest bullet fired or house bombed, he charged. Jammu and Kashmir too produced its share of politicians who would try to serve their personal interests by indulging in war rhetoric against Pakistan, he alleged. Fortunately, the changed discourse following 2002 elections had made peace rather than war, its centrepiecem, Mr Sayeed added. Our emphasis on peaceful means to resolve Kashmir issue had introduced a new and welcome uniformity on the approach to Kashmir issue among the political stakeholders in the state which excludes violence of any kind, he said. Mr Sayeed said that consensus was broken recently when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for other options and a response in kind at a time when shells and bullets were taking their toll on both sides of the divide. It clearly goes beyond the usual lack of sensitivity to the peoples sentiment and looks like a part of a script to sacrifice the interests of the state for some other objective, the PDP chief alleged. He said his party wants to make it clear that it treats war as no option, not even the last. We have witnessed wars and suffered their consequences as no other state has had to. Every war was triggered by hawkish interpretation of situation and had to be followed up with negotiations or mediation to end them. If we could tackle Kargil intrusion without going for a full scale war, if Parliament attack could see the longest ceasefire between the two countries coming in the wake of troop mobilisation, one fails to understand the logic of any war mongering now in absence of any major provocation. Our party has decided to make the voice of the people of the state heard. Any escalation needs to be avoided in the interests of our people who had for the last 10 years enjoyed peace along the borders from Kargil to Kathua, he added. They had started taking peace for granted and developed fresh stakes in hope and life. Bunkers, shields and shelters had been replaced with better permanent habitations and normal pursuit of life, farming and other engagements, Mr Sayeed stated. We will never like them to again face uncertainties of a shattered peace and ravages of war, he added. Mr Sayeed said In my opinion the border firing has nothing to do with the conflict around Kashmir because both countries realise that use of force cannot bring any change in its status. The issue has to be addressed politically and the two countries have to respect the yearning for peace in J&K. He said former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did that in 2003 with resounding results when it looked that finally the jinx around Kashmir was being neutralised. People of this state continue to nurture the same sentiment and want that the peace process be revived and taken to its next level. That will also help retain the spirit of ceasefire and protecting it against any sabotage. One of the reasons for current tensions is the failure to build on the ceasefire of 2003 and use this for further normalisation, easing travel and trade and expanding its scope and scale. That is the only route to salvation for the state and the region, he added. Our party has decided to take out a peace march on November 4, 2013 in Srinagar to convey to our national leadership the concern for deterioration in security environment and the need to mend it through peaceful means, Mr Sayeed announced. He said the message has to go across to Pakistani leadership as well to spare the state and the region from any fresh adventures. The concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as the frontline state must be respected and ceasefire restored. Through the Peace March, we hope to convey our seriousness on the issue and expect it to get registered inspite of the din, partisan interests and strategies of ongoing electoral battle, he added.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 06:26:49 +0000
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