Mehbooba Mufti calls for Ramzan truce in Kashmir

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the government at the Centre to announce ceasefire with separatist militants in the state during the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan.

Ramzan will begin in South Asia at sunset either on Monday or Tuesday.

Ms Mufti, while addressing a press conference here, said, “Ramzan is starting after a couple of days. Ours is a Muslim-majority state. I request them (Centre) to announce a ceasefire like the last year so that crackdowns, search operations and encounters are stopped and people get some relief.”

She said, “Ramzan is a month of peace, compassion, prayers and for seeking forgiveness. It is incumbent on everyone to contribute towards creating a sense of relief for the people of violence ravaged state during this month.”

Ms Mufti while urging the Centre to announce ceasefire during this month to show respect to the religious sensibilities of the majority community of the state said that she expected the militants too will give the people a sense of relief by ceasing their activities. She said, “I urge the Government of India as well as the militant leadership to respect the religious sensibilities of the people and observe ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan.”

Last Ramzan, when Ms Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition was in power in the restive state, the Centre had halted military operations against separatist militants “to help the peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment.”

Though PDP and some other mainstream political parties of the state had pleaded for extending the conditional truce beyond Ramzan, the Centre decided to discontinue the suspension of military operations and announced the full resumption of cordon-and-search and search-and-destroy operations in the state “to prevent terror attacks” immediately after Muslim fasting month was over.

Home minister, Rajnath Singh, had alleged that militants failed to reciprocate the government’s goodwill gesture. He had said, “It was expected that everyone will cooperate in ensuring the success of this initiative. While the security forces have displayed exemplary restraint during this period, the terrorists have continued with their attacks on civilians and security forces, resulting in deaths and injuries.” While announcing end to the conditional truce, he had also said, “Security forces are now being directed to take all necessary actions as earlier to prevent terrorists from launching attacks and indulging in violence and killings.”