Vajpayee's policy only solution to Kashmir issue: Mehbooba

Stating that she is disturbed by the events that have been transpiring in the state, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the Kashmir issue can be resolved only by adopting former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ideas.

"Pakistani Prime Ministers tried their best, went to the United Nations (U.N.) and America, but despite their efforts they had to come back to bilateral talks under the ambit of the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. There will come a time when Pakistan will have to reply in friendly manner to India," she added.

Recalling her visit to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to meet 14-year-old Kashmiri girl Insha, who lost her eyes to pellet guns, Mehbooba said, "After seeing her, I wondered if it was my fault. Where did I and my govt go wrong? Even three months have not been passed since I became Chief Minister and an encounter took place, which created a vicious environment that made a little girl, who aspired to become a doctor, its victim."

Addressing a Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana function here, she said, "I went to AIIMS to meet Insha. When I saw her, my heart filled with pity. She is beautiful. Her head was wrapped with bandage. When she saw me, she started crying. When I asked her whether she was unhappy with me, she did not answer. Then her mother started crying. Later, I inquired about her health, and assured her family of all assistance."

The visit made her to reckon with the present unrest that had gripped the valley in a cycle of violence, said Mehbooba, while questioning the motives of the protesters, who were misguided by "vested interest" demanding 'aazadi'.

"When violence takes place, people die and whatever azadi is left with you vanishes", she added.

"I don't know why people call it azadi. The present situation has left children with blindness and made them handicapped. We should ask their parents whether they are ready to pay the price for that azadi.