Mehbooba Mufti pins Kashmir hopes on Narendra Modi, blames Pakistan for unrest

New Delhi Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday squarely blamed Pakistan and separatists for fuelling the ongoing trouble in the Kashmir Valley that has been seething with public anger and violent antigovernment protests for the past 50 daysPrime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti at a meeting in New Delhi on Saturday PTI PhotoMehbooba was on a whirlwind visit to Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation in Kashmir where at least 71 people have been killed since the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan WaniThe Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said she exchanged views with the Prime Minister on finding a way out of the ldquoKashmir imbrogliordquoThe Prime Minister is very concerned and is as hurt as we are with the deaths in Kashmirrdquo she said and blamed Pakistan for inciting the violence and provoking youth to attack security forces and police stationsI want to tell Pakistan if it has any sympathy for Kashmiris it should stop provoking Kashmiris to attack police stationsrdquo she saidThis is for the first time that Mehbooba has directly blamed Islamabad for causing trouble in Kashmir Previously when in opposition she was known to have a soft spot for Pakistan and Kashmiri separatistsShe said Pakistan lost a golden chance to resolve the Kashmir problem when Modi went to Lahore in December last and later when Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Islamabad for a Saarc conference early this monthIt is time for Pakistan to respond to India if it wants peace in Kashmir said the Peoples Democratic Party PDP leader who heads a coalition in the state with Modis Bharatiya Janata Party BJP as its ruling allyThe meeting was her first with Modi since the unrest beganSaturday marked the 50th day of curfew and shutdown that have crippled normal life across Kashmir More violence erupted in the state after the body of a man allegedly chased by security forces during a stonepelting protest a day ago was fished out of the Jhelum RiverEducation institutions shops private offices and other businesses have not opened in seven weeks Some government offices have been functioning but with thin attendanceMehbooba said she pitched for talks with all stakeholders to end the current impasse She however asked separatist leaders to shun violence ldquoif they want to talkrdquoldquoTalks should be held with those who want peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue For others it is a business Those who provoke people and cause bloodshed dont want talks she saidThe Chief Minister said Indian democracy has enough space to accommodate the dreams of Kashmiris adding the resolution of the Kashmir issue was only possible during Modis governmentldquoIf during his time the situation doesnt change then it will never change I have hopes that when the Prime Minister says there will be a dialogue with everyone then it would happenMehbooba made a passionate appeal to Kashmiri protesters for peace and sought one chance to solve the Kashmir issueThese are the same youth and kids who would accompany me in my public rallies Give me a chance I will get it Kashmir issue solved It has been only two months since I have taken over the government and itna bada bawaal aagaya such a big problem erupted the first woman Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said referring to the turmoil