Mehbooba: Others forging new ties, SAARC going in reverse direction

Withfourmembernationspulling out of the forthcoming SAARC Summit in Pakistan, J&K Cmmehboobamuftiwednesday expressed dismay over non-participationbycountriesintheevent.

“It is unfortunate that while other countries are forging new economic ties, the SAARC countriesaregoinginthereversedirection,” Mehbooba said while launchingthepradhanmantriujjwala Yojana at the Sher-e-kashmir International Convention Centre in the presence of Union Minister ofstateforpetroleumandnational Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

“Those societies who lionise violence as a means to end their problems are doomed. We should look at places around the world where a saga of death and destruction has unfolded and is consuming anybody and everybody,” she added.

Mehbooba, while reacting to the reports that India is in process of reviewing the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, said that the agreement is beneficial for India and Pakistan and “if the two countries can mutually share the water resources, why not their other resources.”

“The two nuclear neighbours must cooperate in the fields of socialdevelopment,includingeradication of poverty and with their growing economies and energy needs, and the need for newer, morediversemarketsandtrading opportunities, the future of the troubled region has to be defined by common economic interests instead of hostilities,” she added.

She said, “PM Narendra Modi went to Pakistan with this message on behalf of people of J&K but the Pathankote incident shattered that process,” she said.

Mehbooba Mufti