Expressing concern over the uptick in violence and killings in Kashmir, the mainstream leadership in the embattled State on Wednesday urged the Central leadership to announce a unilateral cessation of hostilities in view of the coming month of Ramzan and Amarnath yatra to extend relief to common masses.

The suggestion was put forth to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti by the leaders of 13 mainstream political parties during an all-party meeting convened and chaired by her at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Center here.

An official spokesman said that Mehbooba termed peace as the ultimate yearning of every section of society in the State and appealed all shades of opinion in joining this mission to get the State out of violence and bloodshed.

Talking to reporters after the meeting Mehbooba said that the participants in the meeting suggested appealing the Centre to announce a unilateral cessation of hostilities in view of the coming month of Ramadhan and Amarnath yatra to extend relief to common masses. She said suggestion during the meeting also came of constituting an All Parties Delegation (APD) to apprise the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi of the emerging challenges in Jammu and Kashmir and the urgent need to reach out to people in the light of his last Independence Day speech.

Earlier speaking in the meeting she asked all shades of political opinion to rise above party politics and play their role in giving youth of the State a safe and secure future. “This is the concern of all of us because in peace lie the stakes of every section of society for which we all should strive jointly”, she said.

The meeting was convened in the backdrop of rising violence in Kashmir that saw several militants, civilian protesters and a tourist from Tamil Nadu killed in past few days.

Terming Agenda of Alliance (AoA) as a visionary document, Mehbooba Mufti said the need of the hour was to go back to the document and seek its immediate implementation which she said holds key to the problems and issues confronting the State.

Chief Minister said it was satisfying to note that all participants were unanimously concerned about the unending cycle of violence in the State and wished its immediate end. Equally encouraging, she added, was that the participants wanted implementation of the Agenda of Alliance which they believed would positively change the situation in the State.

Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta also addressed the meeting and stressed on close cooperation between Government and opposition in tackling issues confronting the State. He later told media persons that ceasefire doesn’t happen unilaterally. “The guns should fall silent from both sides and not only for (the month of) Ramadhan but once for all,” he said adding that the demand for unilateral ceasefire was raised by many partiesand the same will be communicated to Center and they will take final call.

Besides leaders and ministers from ruling PDP and BJP, representatives of main opposition National Conference, Congress, CPIM, Peoples Democratic Front, Awami Ittehad Party, Samajwadi Party, Panthers Party, DPN took part in the meeting.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Thursday, 10 May 2018 | Khursheed Wani | Srinagar