Engineer Rashid condemns Pahalgam attack, spares govt

Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid on Tuesday condemned the Pahalgam incident, terming it a murder of democracy. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he treaded cautiously not to join the Opposition side in blaming the political establishment for not being able to avert the Pahalgam incident even as he called upon both the sides to find a political solution to the issue.

"Whatever happened in Pahalgam was a murder of humanity. When it comes to condemning it, who understands the pain of the affected family more than we Kashmiris. We have lost thousands of people the same way since 1989....", he said.

Rashid avoided blaming the Lt-Governor of J&K and did not mentioned the home minister. "So many people are asking where the militants had fled (after the Pahalgam incident) and what the Lt-Governor sahib was doing. I am not pleading for anyone. I am not taking sides. I am coming from a place close to the border, where it is not difficult for people to come in and go out. When you are questioning the L-G, no I am not defending him. But even two people intruded into your Parliament," he said. "What I am saying is how do you finish off militancy? How will you fight the militants? For that, you have to win the hearts of Kashmiris. You have to decide, both ruling and Opposition sides, whether you want the people of Kashmir or the land of Kashmir...J&K problem is not communal, it is a political issue. You need to give a political solution," the AIP member said.