Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed on Thursday said as compared to his predecessors, Narendra Modi is the “most focused” Prime Minister on the state so far.
“From the day one (since government formation) there is full focus of Prime Minister on J&K. I have seen Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and V P Singh as Prime Ministers but the Prime Minister Modi is focused more than anybody else,” Sayeed said.
“I am not ungrateful. He is totally focused. He is so focused that he called Chief Secretary of J&K twice to know about the rehabilitation of people due to Krishen Ganga Power Project in Valley,” he added. On the question of expectations from the Centre, he said, “We have got beyond our expectations from the Centre. From day one, there is full focus of Prime Minister on J&K. I am not ungrateful.”
Replying to another question that no talks are being held between India and Pakistan for past nine months, he said “First of all we have to do our home work very well.”
On a question related to remarks of Farooq Abdullah that PoK is part of Pakistan, he said, “It is an evolutionary process. “What is the reality? What is the de-facto position, de-juro, there is no need to jump the guns, let us see how the situation evolves. But our efforts will be there.
“We want to make it easy on the trade front,” he said. “I want to take the confidence building measures between India and Pakistan forward. The telephone connection, the banking facility and increase in people-to-people connect and journey on two sides of LoC,” he added.
“Our government is quite responsive on this front. I feel that there is some reservation from across the border,” he added.
On the issue of radicalisation in Kashmir and whether it is threat to government, he said “I don’t think so. Kashmir has gone through very bad times in past. They have seen what it means by taking to guns. How they have suffered. Even the Imamic Qaba said that it is condemnable (terrorism) whatever be the reasons. They said that this should not happen.”
Asked whether the graph of militancy has increased in J&K, he said, “I hope that history will repeat itself. “During my past period and since 8-10 years nothing has happen. I must say that reconciliation is the only answer.”
“I read it in the newspaper that two of jawans of Pakistan Army were killed in Karachi. They are also suffering from terrorism. But we should all also correct our internal situation here,” he added. On the issue of handshake between Modi and Nawaz Sharif, Mufti said that I don’t know what has transpired between them but I felt the meeting between the two very good.”