Appeal to PM, Pak for stopping exchange of fire: Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan for stopping the continuous exchange of fire in the Line of Control (LoC), which has caused heavy losses to the civilians there.

Mufti told ANI, "This is very bad. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are the one paying the price of enmity and partition between our country and Pakistan. Our people are being killed on both the sides. It is my appeal to our Prime Minister (Modi) and Pakistan that exchange of fire should immediately stop."

She also asserted that the people in the state wanted peace and that the children should go to school safely after the ceasefire violation has been completely stopped.

"Steps should be taken to establish peace like Vajpayee Ji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) did in 2003 and went to Pakistan when ceasefire violations took place. Prime Minister Modi also went to Pakistan (in 2015) but Pathankot (terror attack) unfortunately happened after it (his visit)."

Mufti stressed on peace as the 'only way forward' and said that the country will have to get back on the "right track if it wanted to save the people of Jammu and Kashmir".

This comes after five civilians were killed and two injured as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC in Balakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Sunday.

The Pakistan army had initiated an unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in Rajouri's Sundervani sector last week.

Both Indian and Pakistani troops are exchanging heavy rounds of fire along the LoC since the last few months.