Conflict

On his second visit, Interlocutor Sharma wishes to meet youth of South Kashmir

Srinagar: The Government of India’s special representative Dineshwar Sharma will visit south Kashmir during his second visit this month where he will be meeting youth.

Sharma will be arriving in Kashmir on 26 November before holding meetings in Jammu on November 24.

“I have expressed my desire that I will visit south Kashmir to meet youth there,” Sharma told KNS.

Sources said that this time he will visit Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s home town, Anantnag, and Pulwama in south Kashmir.

“I would like to meet youth in other districts as well. State government will be making arrangements for my visit to various districts,” he said.

His visit followed the announcement of amnesty to first time stone-pelters booked in 2016 by the Union Government as well as the state government.

South Kashmir has been on the boil since 2016 due after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and in 2017 due to increased number of militant killings and counter-insurgency operations.

This year, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited south Kashmir’s volatile Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam districts during her public outreach programmes in a bid to regain PDP’s lost ground.

Mehbooba said that is encouraging that the interlocutor has started on a positive note.

“His (Dineshwar Sharma’s) recommendations are being taken seriously by both the central and state government,” she said on her official twitter account.

“This confidence building measure reaffirms the Central government’s commitment towards changing the narrative in J&K & creating a reconciliatory atmosphere for sustained dialogue,” she tweeted.

 

(With inputs from KNS)

Click to comment
To Top