Srinagar: Appealing the Kashmiri Pandith community to return to their homeland Kashmir, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that the civilians including children on both sides of the LoC are becoming the target of the unresolved Kashmir conflict.

Addressing the Friday congregational prayers at the Historic Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz expressed grave concern and distress at the bloodshed taking place on the LoC.

“Each day civilians including children on both sides of LoC are getting killed thus becoming the target of the unresolved Kashmir conflict, which is very sad and painful,” he said.

“Soldiers also become cannon fodder of this hate as a consequence of the lingering Kashmir dispute. These soldiers on either side belong to the poor segment of society and join forces to make a living and support their poor families and their killing is equally sad,” he said, adding that it is strange that both sides boast of killing soldiers of the other side and swear that deaths will be avenged leading to more killings and destruction, including those of civilians.

“This senselessness and bloodshed is given the name of nationalism and defence of national honour,” he said.

Mirwaiz appealed to both the countries that let better sense prevail and these senseless killings be stopped.

He also said that the only beneficiaries of this death and destruction are those who provide the arms and ammunition for this mayhem, urging the two nuclear neighbors to give up confrontation and come to the table to resolve the Kashmir dispute once for all and put a permanent end to this madness and suffering that has consumed so many lives and is a the source of the suffering of Kashmiris for the past 70 years.

Meanwhile, on the 29th anniversary of Kashmiri Pandith community’s migration from Kashmir, Mirwaiz once again appealed to them to return to their roots, their homeland Kashmir. “People of Kashmir will welcome them with warmth and open arms,” he said.

Mirwaiz said their migration is a human issue and it makes all Kashmiris sad that they are away from their motherland and yearn to come back.

“Kashmiri Pandits are a part of our joint ethos and culture and our common past and will always remain so,” he said.

He said Kashmir belongs to them as much as it does to Muslims and “we want to share our future together.”

“Our demand for the right of self- determination is for each inhabitant of J&K and they have an equal right to have their say in its future dispensation,” he said.

Mirwaiz while terming the rape and murder of a minor bakerwal girl child in Kathua as ‘barbaric and shameful’ act said, “The callousness of those in charge not acting promptly in tracing the missing child for a week is condemnable.”

Meanwhile, on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a peaceful protest was held outside Jamia Masjid Srinagar during which JRL leaders and activists condemned and protested against the ‘state terrorism’ and tactics adopted by NIA and ED.

Guest