Mehbooba, Mirwaiz Welcome PM Modi's Kashmir Outreach, Omar Wants 'Concrete Action'

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach, focussed on developing Kashmir's youth, to solve the decades-old problem in the state.

Chief Minister Mufti said she has all along believed that only dialogue and peaceful means can help in resolving issues as the futility of violence has been established all around.

In his Independence Day address, PM Modi said it was nation’s concern to develop Jammu and Kashmir and its youth. The Prime Minister asserted that peace can be brought to the strife-hit Kashmir by "embracing" Kashmiris and not by "bullets or abuses". We are committed to restoring Kashmir's status as "heaven on earth", he said.

Omar Abdullah, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Opposition leader, said PM Modi should follow his words with action now.

"PM Modi's words for Kashmir have been very well received by the people here but everyone here is weary of yet more talk and (and) no concrete action," he wrote on Twitter.

Omar emphasised that PM Modi's "respect" for Kashmir should acknowledge the state's "unique status within the Constitution of India", setting it apart from all other states.

Abdullah also took a dig at news channels, asking that without the goli (bullets) and the gaali (abuses) what would happen to the TV news studios that specialise in deploying these weapons against all Kashmiris?

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also joined the Kashmir-based parties in welcoming PM Modi's statement, saying if humanity and justice replace bullets and abuses, resolution of Kashmir issue can become a reality.

"Welcome @narendramodi also believes Goli (bullets) and gaali (abuses) will not help resolve Kashmir if insaniyat (humanity) and (and) insaaf (justice) replace them Resolution can become a Reality," he wrote on Twitter.