Expects ‘Good News’ on Valley schools within week: Mehbooba

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today expressed her displeasure over the unrest in Kashmir for the last four months even as she hoped for some good news in the coming days.
“In one week we are hopeful of getting good news with respect to education,” Mehbooba told media persons after taking the guard of honour on the reopening of the Darbar here.
During the unrest in Kashmir since July 8 when Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed, the education sector has become the biggest casualty as business establishments and markets have been opening for a few hours every day.
“Many students had to shift to Jammu as schools in Kashmir have remained closed and some schools have also been burnt down my miscreants. But now the government has acted and arrested miscreants behind the burning of schools,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also expressed displeasure over the cross-border firing and termed it unfortunate. “I am hopeful that good sense will prevail. There is no solution except the (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee formula and everyone knows that we can change friends but not neighbours,” Mehbooba said, adding that “they (India and Pakistan) will have to find a solution and will have to live together, which is a reality”.
She put the onus of the deteriorating relations between the two countries on Pakistan for not responding to the hand of friendship extended by Narendra Modi. “Despite facing the Kargil and Parliament attacks, Vajpayee continued his reconciliatory process and invited Parvez Musharraf and Modi is following in his footsteps. But unfortunately after Modi’s visit (to Lahore), Pakistan did not respond in a similar manner,” she said, adding that “I hope Pakistan will respond to Modi’s friendship and realise that it will get nothing by firing on civilians.”