Jammu and Kashmir National Conference senior leader and MLA Sonawari Mohammad Akbar Lone on Monday expressed grief over the civilian killings and militants in Shopian and said the killings in all its manifestations must be condemned.While taking to Press Trust of Kashmir Lone said, “Militants are also like our brothers. Killing of a militant or a civilian must be condemned. A killing is killing, which cannot be justified,”“Killing people can never solve any issue. People in Kashmir are intoxicated by Azadi. The situation is Kashmir is so serious now. Like civilians, militants are our brothers,” he added.Launching a scathing attack on government, Lone said government can’t feel the pain of losing human lives and killings are not a solution to Kashmir issue.“New Delhi must open channels of dialogue. The issues involved are beyond economics or law and order. Therefore, New Delhi must take political initiatives for resolving these. Kashmir issue is not about development,” Lone said.
He added that the contradictions and opportunism" of the ruling PDP-BJP alliance are at the root of the turmoil in the Valley.Commenting on killing of a Kashmir University professor, the NC leader said it was an answer to those who claim jobs and development were only solution to the Kashmir Issue. The government has failed on all the fronts, he said.“When educated employed young choose the path of militancy it should serve as a wakeup call for those who have turned a deaf ear towards repeated pleas for initiation of dialogue with all stakeholders to find a solution to this quagmire. Kashmir is not an economic issue and cannot be resolved through development,” he said.“Military operations cannot solve the Kashmir dispute. The situation in Kashmir has never been like this. Kashmir is a political issue and has to be resolved politically as per the wishes and aspirations of the people. Military solutions can't be used to resolve a political problem,” he added. (PTK)