Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice Abdul Haq today said the government is working on different fronts to create conducive atmosphere for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir valley.
Minister was interacting with members of Kashmiri Pandit Community at Paloura Jammu. He was accompanied by Legislators Abdul Majeed Padder and Yasir Reshi. He said some divisive forces are hell bent to create mistrust among different communities as they don’t want Kashmiri Pandits to return to the valley.
The Minister said there is a need to open more communication channels between the communities in Kashmir so that the new generation holds regular interactions to overcome the misconceptions and mistrust.
Abdul Haq said there is no alternative to dialogue as confrontation leads to nowhere. He said while the state government wants dialogue to bring peace in the valley, there is also need to increase communication channels between different communities within the state including Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims so that misconceptions are removed and trust and goodwill is restored among the communities.
The Minister also urged the media to play constructive role in bridging the gaps.
Abdul Haq said the migration from Kashmir was not the loss of Kashmir Pandits only but the Muslims suffered equally. He said the migration led to the loss of real composite culture in the Kashmir valley. He stressed on the members of the community to join hands to get their voice heard and be part of decision making process.
He said the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti strongly wants to see Kashmiri Pandits back, as the valley is incomplete without them. He said the Chief Minister is keen to address all the issues of the migrant community and take necessary measure in this regard.
Legislators Abdul Majeed Padder and Yasir Reshi also spoke on the occasion.