Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti has once again given rise to speculations of her being a soft-separatist when calling for an end to gun culture she termed the local militants as “sons of the soil”.
She also pushed for a dialogue between the Centre and militant leadership.
"Right from the time I came into politics in 1996, I have been saying that local militants are sons of the soil and our maximum efforts should be to save them because they are assets,” she said while speaking to media in Anantnag district.
"Right now, talks should be held with Pakistan and separatists. Similarly, the militant leadership should also be talked to as it is they who have the guns and only they can end the gun culture," Mehbooba said.
"I believe at some stage, talks will have to be held with Hurriyat Conference and militants as well," she said.
The former chief minister, however, said it was "too early (for talks with militants)".
Mehbooba said local militants should be prevented from walking on the path of violence.
Post dissolution of the J&K Assembly, the PDP chief has been visting families of militants in sensitive areas. On December 31, 2018, Mehbooba visited the sister of a suspected militant in Pulwama who was reportedly beaten up by the police. She later urged the Governor Satya Pal Malik to take action against the police officials and to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. On January 3, Mehbooba again visited the families of militants in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
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