After Kashmir attacks, Er Rashid urges for cessation of violence

In wake of the latest incidents of violence in Kashmir, Baramulla Member Parliament and Awami Ittihad Party president Engineer Abdul Rashid on Sunday called people to shun violence and come around a table for dialogue over Kashmir.
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah saying if the central government can talk to people in north eastern states, why not in J&K.
“My question to Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji is that if you can talk to people in Nagaland, Assam and Ladakh then why do you tag Kashmiris as Pakistani agents. You can’t run away from the truth,” said Rashid, who was in north Kashmir’s Handwara for an official tour.
“All stakeholders should shun violence, come to the table and listen to each other. Over 1 lakh people died here and nothing changed. Those included people from the army, militants and common masses. Who killed them or how they died is a separate issue but all were humans. It is incumbent on everybody -India, Pakistan and Kashmiris- all stakeholders should come around a table and talk over the Kashmir issue for a dignified solution,” Rashid said.
Two back to back terrorists attacks in north Kashmir since last Sunday has led to killing of 12 persons, including nine civilians and two army personnel, in the valley.
Rashid said that neither Article 370 revocation nor restoration of statehood would solve the Kashmir issue.
“The solution is not revocation of Articles 370 or 35A or restoring statehood but gathering around a table and starting a dialogue by all the stakeholders of Kashmir,” he said.
Later addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Er Rashid, on Sunday, said that chief minister Omar Abdullah should make public his discussions with Prime Minister and home minister.
“ You met PM, HM and other leaders. This is your moral responsibility to tell your people what issues you raised before them and what was their response. The talks should not be held behind veils. At least inform this much to people Whether you talked to PM about Articles 370 and 35-A and what was his response on statehood, “ he asked.
Rashid ia going to surrender on October 28 as his bail period was ending.
On bail since September 11 in a terror funding case, Er Rashid has been holding back to back developmental tours of his Baramulla parliamentary constituency after his rigorous election campaigning for assembly elections failed to make much mark. Rashid was arrested in 2019 in connection with a terror funding case and was granted bail to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls in which his party won just a single seat. Earlier Rashid had contested Lok Sabha polls from Tihar Jail in Delhi and had defeated National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah by 2.4 lakh votes.