Solve issue to stop killings: Separatists

Srinagar: Separatists on Friday said that any killing that takes place on the soil of Kashmir is “regrettable” and that they feel the pain of the families of the CRPF jawans and officials killed in a suicide attack near Srinagar on Thursday.

‘Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL)’, the alliance of key separatist leaders in a guarded statement issued here said, “The people and leadership of Kashmir regret every killing that happens on its soil.’ The JRL has on its Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

Their joint statement said, “As we witness killing of our loved ones our young, and shoulder their coffins each day we can feel and understand the pain and sense of loss that the family and friends of those who are killed go through, not for a day or two when everyone is expressing grief and condolences to them ,but the silent grief and loss that stays with them for a lifetime.”

It asserted. “The delay in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the denial to engage with the sentiments and aspirations of the people of J&K and instead the use of a muscular military approach to counter an essentially political and human problem, is wreaking havoc in Kashmir especially on next generation and consuming them”. It added, “those who are here to execute this  policy are also under stress and paying a price with their lives.”

Stating  that this “death dance” must stop, it said, “If hatred and revenge and killing and counter killings have to stop and if we really want peace in the region we have to put an end to hostilities”. It said that the most effective and civilised manner to do so was to reach out and engage and listen to the concerns of all three stakeholders and address them in the spirit of humanity and justice. It also called for resolving the Kashmir dispute for all times to come.