Mehbooba Mufti: Unfortunate Pakistan violating ceasefire during Ramadan

J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti addresses during a function at SKICC in Srinagar, on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday termed Pakistan's ceasefire violations during the holy month of Ramadan as "highly unfortunate".

Visiting bereaved families in R.S.Pura sector where indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan last week left four civilians dead, she described the killings as highly unfortunate as they occurred when the holy month had just begun and people had heaved a sigh of relief due to the Central government's welcome step of halting security operations in the state.

Interacting with the families, she said the way North and South Korea decided on peaceful engagement is an encouraging signal to the entire world that issues, no matter how complex these might be, can only be settled through negotiations, not violence.

Mehbooba Mufti said the state's people, who have gone through very tough times in the past, want to live a peaceful life free from violence and killings. She said the Centre's move of halting security operations has generated a hope among people who expect positive reciprocation to it by all stakeholders to let the people come out of the zero-sum game of killings and uncertainty, noting that the world over people are coming to peaceful engagement of issues as acrimony and violence has led them nowhere except deaths, destruction and devastation.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister disbursed cash assistance of Rs 1 lakh each among the families whose kin were killed in the cross-border shelling over the past few days. This assistance is over and above the ex gratia relief already paid to them through Jammu administration. She also directed the Jammu Divisional administration to prepare a report of the damages caused to houses and dwelling units during the shelling.

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