'Surgical strikes, war with Pakistan out of place options'

In an e-mail statement issued on Tuesday, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed pressed for the need of a resolution of Kashmir issue while refuting surgical strikes and war with Pakistan as out of place options.

Expressing concern over the recent development in Indo-Pak relations amid war rhetoric discussions, he said that peace in the sub-continent and resolution of Kashmir issue should dominate the national debate.

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Sayeed said that Mumbai attack shouldn’t be placed as a roadblock to the Indo-Pak peace process; moreover, it should further strengthen our commitment to take the peace effort ahead. "The suggestions of surgical strikes across the border or an outright war with Pakistan are obviously out of place," he said.

Lauding both the alliance governments: UPA and NDA in their efforts for regional peace, the PDP leader stated that the current Lok Sabha election shouldn’t be used to score points about which of the two major alliances at the national level is more hawkish in its tone and tenor, instead the competition should in fact now be as to which one of the two alternatives is more forward-looking, peace-loving and development-oriented. He, however, differed with BJP leadership by reverting back to the Mandir-Masjid and Hindutva issue.

Referring to the need for strengthening of civil society and democratic forces in Pakistan, Mufti said it was in the interest of the whole region that the democratic institutions in that country are strengthened. "Hawkish voices from our country will only weaken them further and result in the promotion of the agents of hate and violence," he cautioned.

Talking about the development and political aspiration of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, Mufti said that viewing the recent happenings in the state socio-political scenario he said: ‘While development, employment and other measures for upgradation of the standards of life have to be addressed proactively, these can't be achieved in isolation and in presence of the alienation of people."

Mufti reiterated that the voice of the people of Jammu & Kashmir has to be respected in the larger interest of peace in South Asia, and a right balance has to be struck to solve problems of the region proactively and permanently.