Saying that Jammu & Kashmir has been the biggest victim of the subcontinent’s partition of 1947, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asked people of every region, ideology and religion to jointly fight for resolving issues confronting the State.Addressing a gathering of displaced persons on the occasion of launch of Package of Financial Assistance for Displaced Persons from PoK, the Chief Minister said the people of Jammu & Kashmir have been suffering since partition of 1947 unlike any other State. She asked people of the State to join hands and lead in unbundling the knots which have tied them in a quagmire of uncertainty and hopelessness.The Chief Minister said she wishes the relations between the two countries (India and Pakistan) improve so that there is maximum trade and people’s interactions resulting into a consequential benefit to the people of the State. She sought the help of all stakeholders in accomplishing this saying it is her earnest desire to see the breeze of harmony, friendship and peace sweep the entire region so that South Asia gets rid of poverty, illiteracy, disease and destruction.Mehbooba Mufti said that wars all around have left behind a trail of death, destruction and displacement only. She said people of the State hold an important responsibility of ensuring and leading to friendly relations between India and Pakistan. “We have to go back to the era of Mr. Vajpayee when hostilities between the two neighboring countries were minimal and despite provocations like Kargil and Parliament attack, option of war was not even considered.
Rather it led to opening of hearts and minds between the two sides which ultimately resulted into opening of borders, resumption of trade and more people to people contact”, she added.On the occasion, the Chief Minister handed over cheques of financial package among the heads of some displaced persons’ families.Earlier in his address, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh thanked the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti for ensuring that the displaced persons get their due.He said the Government has been sensitive to the problems and difficulties of DPs and is working for the mitigation of the same.In his address, Minister for Revenue, Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari said the Government has been working for making this compensation more and more easy for the displaced persons. He said his Department would make all efforts in minimizing the difficulties of displaced persons.Chairman, Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali, several ministers, MPs, legislators, Chief Secretary, B. R. Sharma, Financial Commissioner, Relief & Rehabilitation, B. B. Vyas, senior officers of various Departments and a large number of displaced persons were present on the occasion.