Kashmiri militants are our brothers: PDP MLA

JAMMU: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Aijaz Ahmed Mir has called Kashmiri militants “our brothers” and those killed “martyrs”, and sought to involve them in the dialogues to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The Wachi MLA made the comment while speaking to mediapersons outside the state assembly on Thursday.

Mir, who hails from a militancy-infested area, said the time has come to talk to the Hurriyat, militants and other stakeholders to resolve the Kashmir issue and end the violence and bloodshed in the region.

To a poser on local militants, he said, “Call them militants or terrorists, but they are Kashmiris, they are our brothers. I request all to stop politicising their killings.”

“This House has to end the blame game over the killings,” he said, and stressed that the Centre’s special representative, Dineshwar Sharma should take the militants on board during dialogues. When asked about killings of security personnel, the legislator said that he feels bad about them too. He said that talks between India and Pakistan should be held for a meaningful resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The ruling party MLA’s controversial statement has left its ally BJP red-faced.

‘STATUS OF ARTICLE 370 IS TEMPORARY’

The status of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir is “temporary”, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar said on Thursday as he stressed that the occupation of Indian land by China and Pakistan was unconstitutional.