Kashmiri youths in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and other parts in Pakistan now intend to return to back to Kashmir valley & lead a normal & graceful life as per statement by Mehbooba Mufti, president of People’s Democratic party (PDP). Fine, it is a welcome desire by the way ward youths who crossed over to PoK & other parts of Pakistan being emotionally blackmailed by some selfish religious fundamentalists.
During the Pugwash conference, a good number of Kashmiri youths on the otherside of the border met Mufti & desired to join their families once again in Kashmir to lead a Civil life. They want to shun the path of violence & comeback to mainstream. The plight of these youths in PoK & Pakistan is measurable as they are engaged in doing some pity jobs for their livelihood & survival. Mehbooba had taken up this matter with the Central Government and she had already discussed this human issue with the leaders of Pakistan including former premier Nawaz Sharief. This is entirely a humanitarian issue, as the youths who had crossed over to otherside in nineties want to rejoin their much loved family once again. In this context both India & Pakistan should find a way out for their honourable return.
There are possibilities that the youths after return to Kashmir may indulge in violence again. But this can be well dealt. If this can be done, this will be a biggest Confidence Building Measure (CBM) from Indian side. In her visit to Pakistan, Mufti had a meeting with Sharief in this regard & she urged him to facilitate their return to their homes.
Thousand of Kashmiri youths crossed over to PoK in late eighty & early nineties for receiving arms training there for so called Jihad. But it seems, in changing condition & situation they intend to comeback to be reunited with their family & subsequently lead a normal life. This is not a bad proposition for return of peace in the valley. But the leaders from both side now must come together to find out a real & viable solution for this forgetting the petty cheap politics. An intense insight must be given to this issue with the cooperation of intellectuals from both the sides, so that a ray of hope may emerge for this youths.