Kashmiri Leaders Condemn Mumbai Blasts

Srinagar, July 14: The Chief Minister of Indian administered Kashmir and senior separatist leaders have strongly condemned the serial blasts in Mumbai that left 18 persons dead and over 100 injured.

“I will request everyone from L K Advani (senior BJP leader) and others that until it is not clear who is behind these attacks we should not blame others. It is our bad habit that we first put the blame and then try to find proof to prove our blame right,” Omar told the media after a function here.

He said less than 24 hours after the blasts in Mumbai, senior BJP leaders have blamed Pakistan.

“Who is behind it (attacks), let investigations be complete. Then, everything will be in front of us,” he said.

“When the Samjhauta train attack took place we first blamed the neighbouring country, but then we came to know it was our own people who did it to disturb the communal harmony in the country. I am not saying who is behind these attacks, I am only requesting that until we do have solid proof we should not blame anyone,” Omar said.

Meanwhile, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said there is no justification for such inhuman incidents. “Innocent killings cannot be justified by either the State or an individual or a group. It is an unpardonable act as killing of an innocent is equivalent to killing of humanity,” he said in a statement issued here.

Terming it as the worst act of terrorism, he said the killing of innocents is the murder of humanity. “The persons involved in the heinous crime should be punished severely,” he said.

Geelani rubbished the notion that “terrorism” is linked with a particular community. “The blasts in Malegaon, Makkah Masjid, Ajmeer Dargah and Samjhuata Express in India have made it amply clear that people from all communities are related with such terrorist act and it is not confined to a particular community as is being projected,” he said.

Moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also strongly condemned the Mumbai attacks.

“We are saddened by the huge loss of life in the Mumbai blasts and condemn it. Spilling the blood of innocents – be it in Mumbai, Palestine, Karachi or Kashmir – is a shameful and inhuman act,” he said.

He said such incidents are aimed at creating obstacles in the dialogue process. “Now, it depends on the leadership of the sub-continent to adopt a positive approach and carry the talks forward for finding solution to all outstanding issues including Kashmir,” he said.

He said those involved in the killing of innocent people are enemies of humanity.