Mehbooba Mufti Pays Homage To Killed BSF Jawans, Slams Terror Attacks

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said the terror attacks in Anantnag district were an attempt to derail the peace and reconciliation process in Jammu and Kashmir as she paid homage to three BSF personnel who were killed in an ambush by terrorists near Bijbehara yesterday.

Ms Mehbooba Mufti, who visited the frontier headquarters of BSF at Humhama in Srinagar, expressed anguish over the killing of two policemen in Anantnag town of south Kashmir today and said the recent attacks once again show the "desperate levels" to which the terrorists can go to "disrupt peace and normalcy" in the state.

She laid wreaths on the mortal remains of the jawans - Head Constable GK Shukla of 1022 RT Regiment, Head Constable Dinesh Giri of 1022 RT Regiment and Constable Mahinder Ram of 64 Battalion.

"Violence is a zero sum game which does not solve any problem but gives rise to more complexities. Only the weak resort to killings," she said.

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She said the "perpetrators of bloodbath" must realise that political problems are not resolved through the gun and grenade.

"Dialogue and reconciliation are the only options for making headway in finding a solution," she said.

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The chief minister expressed solidarity with Director General BSF, KK Sharma, who was present there.

She conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls.

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Recalling the sacrifices of the security forces in combating militancy in the state, she said, "Such dastardly acts of senseless violence are against the basic tenets of humanity and they should be condemned by one and all.

"My heart goes out to the families of the slain BSF personnel and I hope the perpetrators will be taken to task soon."

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The chief minister said such attacks were attempts by vested interests to "derail the peace and reconciliation process" started by the state government in Jammu and Kashmir which will also impact the economy at a time when the tourism activity had started picking up in the state.

Director General of state police K Rajendra Kumar, Inspector General of BSF Vikas Chandra, IG Police Kashmir, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, IGP Muneer Ahmad Khan, DIGs of BSF Rajendra Pandey, AS Asthana and Sudhir Kumar were present on the occasion.

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Besides, DIG Police Central Kashmir Range Ghulam Hassan Bhat, Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Mir Altaf Hussain, SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad and other senior officers of the civil and police administration were also present.

"The security forces personnel and the policemen, who are performing difficult duties not out of choice but to earn bread and butter for their families, are losing their precious lives in such dastardly attacks," she said, adding "one fails to understand why unsuspecting police men should fall prey to this senseless violence".

She also praised the security forces and the police for exercising restraint to ensure that the innocent civilians do not suffer due to any retaliatory action.

Hundreds of civilians, security forces personnel, policemen and militants have been killed in the state over the past two decades, leaving behind a trail of tragedies for the families of the victims, she said.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of Assistant Sub-Inspector Bashir Ahmad and a Constable Reyaz Ahmad, killed in Anantnag today," she said.

These "dastardly acts depict the desperation on part of militant groups" and they are only adding to the miseries of Kashmiris, she said.

She said such killings cannot deter the resolve of the government in moving ahead to bring peace and normalcy to the state and end the miseries of the people.