J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti welcomes 'ceasefire' during Ramzan, thanks PM Modi and Rajnath Singh

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's decision to not launch any security operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan.

"I wholeheartedly welcome the Ramadan ceasefire and would like to thank PM and Home Minister for their personal intervention. My gratitude also to the leaders and parties who participated in the All Party Meeting and helped build consensus towards this announcement," she said in a tweet.

I wholeheartedly welcome the Ramadan ceasefire & would like to thank @narendramodi ji & @rajnathsingh ji for their personal intervention. My gratitude also to the leaders & parties who participated in the All Party Meeting & helped build consensus towards this announcement. 1/2 — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 16, 2018

The month of Ramadan is a harbinger of peace & such a decision will go a long way in creating a peaceful & amicable environment for a sustained dialogue. 2/2 — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 16, 2018

National Conference leader and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah too welcomed the Centre's decision. "On the demand of all political parties (except the BJP, which had opposed it) the Centre has announced a unilateral ceasefire. Now if the militants don't respond in kind, they will stand exposed as the true enemies of the people," he said.

On the demand of all political parties (except the BJP, which had opposed it) the Centre has announced a unilateral ceasefire. Now if the militants don’t respond in kind they will stand exposed as the true enemies of the people. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 16, 2018

The Centre has asked security forces not to launch operations in J&K during the holy month of Ramzan. The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that the decision has been taken to help the "peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment". However, the Centre has said that the security forces "reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people".

Just a few days ago, Mufti had demanded a unilateral ceasefire by the security forces during Ramzan and Amarnath yatra in the state. But the Centre was initially not too keen on offering an olive branch to the 'terror groups' pointing out that the situation in the state was not conducive for a ceasefire and such an exercise undertaken in 2000 had not given the desired results.

After an all-party meeting, Mufti had said, "Everyone (all parties) agreed that we should appeal to the Centre to consider a ceasefire like the unilateral ceasefire in (former PM Atal Bihari) Vajpayee's time in Ramadan (later this month) till Amarnath yatra and Eid."

The holy month of Ramzan will start on Thursday.