Talks only way forward to address Kashmir issue, says Mehbooba

JAMMU: Maintaining that violence will not help resolve issues, the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday that peace and dialogue is the only way forward towards addressing the Kashmir imbroglio.

“Threads need to be picked up from where these were left by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2005, when a serious effort was made both on external and internal fronts to resolve the Kashmir issue through a credible and meaningful dialogue and confidence-building process,” the chief minister said, while addressing a function organised in connection with handing over of appointment orders to next of kin of the employees of Jammu division who died in harness.

The CM handed over orders to 108 beneficiaries from 10 districts of Jammu division, including 47 from Jammu, five from Reasi, nine from Kathua, 11 from Udhampur, 10 from Poonch, seven from Samba, four from Kishtwar, three from Ramban, eight from Rajouri and four from Doda.

‘FINISH MUBARAK MANDI RESTORATION WORK SOON’

Expressing concern over the slow pace of restoration work on the Mubarak Mandi heritage complex, Mehbooba Mufti has stressed upon roping in other agencies to supplement the ongoing work being carried out by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).

The chief minister issued directions on Monday, while chairing the seventh governing body meeting of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society here.