Mehbooba Mufti Calls for Renewed Peace Talks Between India and Pakistan to Stop Terror Attacks

SRINAGAR, Oct 23: In the aftermath of the tragic terror attack in Ganderbal, where seven people, including a local doctor and six non-local laborers, were killed, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has called for India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue, stressing that reconciliation is the only path to halt such incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing reporters after visiting the residence of Dr. Shahnawaz Dar, one of the victims, in Budgam district, Mehbooba expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in the region. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir are caught in the crossfire of animosity between India and Pakistan. Their lives and property are being destroyed, and innocent laborers are suffering as a result,” she said. In Gund, Ganderbal, just a few days ago, terrorists attacked the laborers as they were working on a tunnel project.

The former chief minister paid tribute to Dr. Dar, describing him as an honorable man who dedicated his life to serving the people but became a casualty of the strained relations between the two nations. Mehbooba emphasized that reconciliation, akin to the peace initiatives undertaken by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is essential to ending the bloodshed. “Until both countries sit down, engage in cordial dialogue, and seek reconciliation, Jammu and Kashmir will continue to bear the brunt of this hostility, and violence will persist,” she warned.

Mehbooba refrained from commenting on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s recent statement that talks with Pakistan cannot occur until violence stops, instead focusing on the urgent need for peace. “Every individual in J&K, not just Mehbooba Mufti, desires an end to this violence. We want both countries to come together, talk, and stop the bloodshed so we can move toward peace,” she asserted.