Make Jammu and Kashmir a model of SAARC: Mehbooba

Says there is a sense of distrust, a 'trust deficit' about the people of the state

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti today pitched for making Jammu and Kashmir a model of SAARC cooperation and said people of the state face "trust deficit" which has to be removed.

Participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha on Motion of Thanks on the President's address, she said instead of discussing the Kashmir issue in various international fora like Geneva and Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), it should be discussed on the floor of the House.

"In which forum it is not discussed...Our leaders go there to defend our position. Why not discuss it here. Why discuss it in Geneva, OIC or Pakistan. This is our home, this is our angan (courtyard) ... Why shy away from discussing the core of Indianhood," she said.

She said there is a sense of distrust, a "trust deficit" about the people of the state. She said the people of the state will have to be trusted.

The PDP leader said the state should be made the "central piece" of development and should be made a model of SAARC cooperation.

She said routes to Central and South Asia go through Kashmir and it should be exploited for development of the state.

She said besides zero tolerance on riots and crimes, the President's address should also include "zero tolerance" on human rights violations.

She was of the view that while army and security forces have done a commendable job, there were some "black sheep".

The PDP member said Jammu and Kashmir should not been seen from "security angle" only and there should be a separate mechanism to look into the development aspect.

Terming Jammu and Kashmir as a "challenge" for successive Prime Ministers, she hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will follow the principles of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in resolving the issues relating to the state through a humane approach.