KATRA: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today spoke about "pain in the heart of Kashmir" which needs to be addressed immediately by all so that the youth of the state also flourish and contribute to the growth of the nation.
In her first public rally after taking over as the first woman Chief Minister of J-K early this month, she spoke about the unrest in Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Syria and Libya.
"In Pakistan, the government is fighting against its own people... Sunni kills Shia and vice versa," she told the rally after inauguration of Shri Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital here, 32 kms from Jammu.
"I am proud to live in a nation where people from different religions live in peace and harmony but there is a pain... There is a pain in heart of Kashmir and we all have to heal it together.
"We need to heal it so that the youth of Kashmir flourish like those in rest of the country," she said at the function which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Union and state ministers among others.
Referring to the recent killings in Handwara town of north Kashmir, she expressed hope that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, her government will be able to restore peace in the state.
She recalled her conversation with her late father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and said when talks for alliance between PDP and BJP were going on he had told her, "I have held the hand of a person who has been made the Prime Minister of the country by crores of people."
Recalling her visit to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi as a college student, Mehbooba said, "Bhagwan Vishnu and Mata Vaishno Devi chose Jammu and Kashmir (as their abode) from across the world. What can be better than this that crores of people of the country have place of faith here in J&K?"
"Narendra Modi ji, Jammu and Kashmir is a mini-India and complete in itself," she said, adding when a turmoil erupted in Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits came to Jammu and they were welcomed by people here.
"I salute the people of Jammu for that," she said.
She said her father and later Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was instrumental in setting up three universities in Jammu and Kashmir in 2004 in a bid to make the state a model for the country.
"I am happy that girls have got the highest number of gold medals at this shrine university. My focus is the youth of Jammu and Kashmir," she said.
"I hope that central government will come forward to help Jammu and Kashmir in education, employment and creation of avenues for the young generation in the state," she said.