Mehbooba Mufti echoes Pak Gen Bajwa; says 'No peace without solving Kashmir issue'

Backing Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's call for 'Indo-Pak talks', PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday, said that the Indian government should initiate talks with Pakistan. Addressing a public outreach program at Jammu-Kashmir's Chawlagam, Kulgam, the ex-CM echoed Bajwa's remarks saying 'Cannot reach peace without resolving Kashmir issue'. Mufti had previously also urged Centre to talk to Pakistan, amid multiple ceasefire violations.

Mufti: 'No peace without resolving Kashmir'

"The government should initiate peace talks with Pakistan, now that Bajwa made the statement. The government should understand the way of peace talks goes through the Kashmir issue. We cannot reach peace without resolving the Kashmir issue, people will have to face atrocities here," she said.

Bury The Past & Move Forward: Bajwa

On March 19, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called for India to 'bury the past and move forward' as the peace between the two neighbours would help to 'unlock' the potential of South and Central Asia. Addressing a session of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue, General Bajwa also said that the potential for regional peace and development has remained hostage to the age-old disputes between the two 'nuclear-armed neighbours'. Bajwa, however, added that the burden to create a "conducive environment" is on India and noted the role played by the US in resolving the regional conflicts.

"We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India.

In response, India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said that any meaningful dialogue can only be held in a conducive atmosphere and the onus is on Pakistan to create such an atmosphere. He said India desires good neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh issued a statement saying that General Bajwa “should back his rhetoric on peace with solid action”, adding that  India cannot afford to go soft with Pakistan “till they walk the talk and prove their sincerity with concrete actions”.

Indo-Pak ceasefire

On February 25, India and Pakistan released a joint statement after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries discussed the established mechanism of hotline contact and the border situation. As per the joint statement, India and Pakistan's DGMOs reviewed the situation along the line of control (LoC) and reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings should be utilized to resolve any unforeseen situation. The meeting between the DGMOs of the two countries comes amid continuing ceasefire violations along the LoC.