Mehbooba, Centre need to explain how 5 percent people have held Kashmir captive

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the government at the centre need to explain how and why only five per cent of Jammu and Kashmir's population is holding the state captive.

"Only five per cent of people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir. So, not only the chief minister but the Union Government have to explain as to how five per cent people in Kashmir have made the entire state captive. You cannot allow the state to be held hostage by five per cent people. Why does the government of India not act? This is a very big question and they are answerable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the country," NPP leader Harshdev told ANI.

"Mehbooba Mufti has made a very important statement that 95per cent of the people in Kashmir, want peace and normalcy. They want schools to be opened, offices to be functional, and normal activities to be restored in Kashmir," he added.

Harshdev also said opposition parties of Kashmir have to be clear about bringing out a political solution to resolve the Kashmir crisis.

"Delegation of some of the opposition parties of Kashmir has called on the Prime Minister and has also met some other leaders and what they have been insisting for is that the present crisis in Jammu and Kashmir should be settled as political issue. There should be a political solution to the issue, but they have failed to specify as to what they mean by political solution," he added.

"They have been talking about this since long; Omar Abdullah has been the chief minister of the state. His father and grandfather have also ruled the state for six decades, and why is that they couldn't evolve a political solution when they were in power and what exactly they want, they need to spell out because it is just a vague proposition," he said.

On Monday, an all-party delegation of opposition parties from Jammu and Kashmir met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We stressed that Jammu and Kashmir is a political issue and such situations emerge from time to time, and if we don't find a political solution to this problem, we will keep on committing the same mistake." said National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Expressing hope that there will be some impact of their meeting, Abdullah said, "We hope that there will be some impact. We are not here to complain about anybody, we have come here with a request and hope and when those will be followed, it will not only benefit Jammu and Kashmir but it will have a positive impact on the entire nation."

Earlier , Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in a statement said, "Kashmiris are not stone-pelters. They are peace loving, they want to open their shops, they want to send their wards to school."

She Urged the Centre not to see the people of Kashmir with the same eye.

"There are only five percent of people, who are disturbing peace and creating law and order situation in the valley. But 95 percent are innocent people and they want to live in peace, but are suffering due to a section of selfish creatures."

Stating that violence brings only destruction and nothing else, Mehbooba said, "Guns went into Afghanistan, Syria and Russia. Was anything achieved there by using those guns? Violence brings only destruction and nothing else.