Civilian killings hit Govt’s publicity stunts

PDP-BJP Govt talks down Mehbooba’s year in power

The killings of more than 100 civilians since last year at the hands of government forces Tuesday forced Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti-led government to call off its customary promotion of “one-year achievements”.
The government neither came up with advertisements in the media about the “accomplishments” of the Mehbooba-led government during the past year nor did it hold any news conference to boast about it.
Mehbooba had taken over as Jammu Kashmir CM on April 4, 2016, around three months after her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s death.
Talking to Kashmir Post, opposition National Conference (NC) General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar said the Mehbooba-led government had nothing to show off as its achievements as its report card was “dismal”.
“Her report card reads killing of over 130 youth, injuries to over 16,000 persons, blinding of more than 100 children and youth, arrests of more than 15,000 people, 6-months continuous curfew, ban on Eid prayers for the first time in the 500 years of Kashmir history, ban on Friday congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar for 18 consecutive weeks, a volatile south Kashmir, destructions of houses of civilians in gunfights in the name of ‘collateral damage,’” Sagar said.
The veteran NC leader said their report card also reads humiliation of Muslims at the hands of their coalition partners, the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He said but for the opposition and the Hurriyat, Mehbooba-led government had almost set up Sainik colonies and satellite townships for displaced Kashmiri Pandits after pressure from us and others.
“Their report card reads no progress on talks with Hurriyat or Pakistan as promised in the Agenda of Alliance,” Sagar said about the PDP and BJP’s Common Minimum Programme (CMP).
The PDP-BJP coalition government had come into being under the leadership of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on March 1, 2015 and the two parties had termed Agenda of Alliance as “guiding framework for governance”.
However, there has been no progress on any of the issues agreed by the two parties on the Agenda of Alliance including talks with internal stakeholders including Hurriyat Conference and fostering ties with Pakistan, revocation of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), return of Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects to to the State, vacation of land by occupied by Army and paramilitary forces and providing relief to the September 2014 flood-hit people has remained sluggish and the dredging of River Jhelum and flood-spill channels is yet to take off.
On the contrary, the PDP-BJP led government has put in efforts for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits with the government restarting “registration of the displaced community” in Jammu and providing relief and rehabilitation to the West Pak refugees.
Ruling PDP chief spokesman Mehboob Beg told Kashmir Post that it was not a matter of talking down accomplishments as there was nothing to show but understanding last year’s situation when six to eight months had got wasted.
“Peace is interconnected with the internal and external dimensions of the Agenda of Alliance,” Beg said.
He blamed the Hurriyat leadership for failing people of Kashmir by letting the opportunity of meeting an All Party Delegation of Members of Parliament and starting dialogue with New Delhi go waste.
“Peace is important for starting dialogue,” he said.
Beg said people would read Mehbooba-led government’s report card after it completes its entire term not just one year.
“Yes, there were civilians killings, which is unfortunate but people will compare us to the previous regimes,” he said.

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