KL Report
Srinagar
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday left for Zanskar. After her overnight stay at Kargil she will leave for Zanskar.
Party chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said that the party president is accompanied by senior leaders Qazi Mohammad Afzal, Nizamuddin Bhat and Tashi Gyalson.
Mehbooba, according to Akhtar is visiting Zanskar to express solidarity with the victims of recent violence and meet different sections of society there in order to help restore peace and friendly relations between communities in the desert hinterland.
Accusing Omar led government, Naeem said that the government had miserably failed to respond to the situation in Zanskar till it resulted in violence against a small defenseless group of people in an area that is known for communal amity and tolerance.
“It was an index of the seriousness of this government about the lives of people that it sent some ministers to Zanskar one month after the initial indications of trouble that had been brewing ever since,” he said.
Mehbooba is scheduled to reach Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar sub division on Tuesday evening where she would hold meetings with different groups in an effort to promote peace.
On reaching, Kargil Mehbooba visited the family of late Sheikh Ahmed Mohammadi , former head of the reputed Islamia School Kargil who passed away recently. Mehbooba paid rich tributes to the departed scholar and spiritual leader who she recalled had enriched the life of the region significantly through his selfless services.
Pertinent to mention that Zanskar witnessed some serious incidents of communalism after 26 local Budha belonging to five families embarrassed Islam. One family succumbed to the communal pressure and converted back to Budhism while as Men, women and children of four families are still living with the local Muslims.
I appreciate Mrs.Mehbooba Mufti effort to promote peace and harmony in Zanskar but one thing I would like to request all the political leaders is, don’t mix this situation in politics. The initial cause of the communal tension was no more then kids playing games. This happened due to lack of knowledge those who have been saying wanted to convert to muslim from Buddhist. This wont happened if they have full knowledge what religion mean in our lives. I hope that J&K leadership should be fair and should be leader of the people rather then their politically mean. Tenzin