Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti blamed civilian deaths in the Valley unrest on protesters attacking Army camps and police posts. “Did the children go to the Army camp to buy toffees? Did the 15-year-old boy in Damhal Hanjipora go to fetch milk when he attacked a police station,” Mehbooba said in a press conference she had addressed.

“95 per cent of the population support a peaceful resolution” of the problem in Kashmir, the Chief Minister said, security forces will “deal according to law with the 5 per cent people creating havoc”.

She said it was time to “differentiate between people who want resolution of the problem through dialogue, reconciliation and people who exploit small children, the children of the poor, to attack camps and take to the streets with stones”.

“The situation in Kashmir has to be improved. The focus of our government, government of India or all parties in the country should be the 95 per cent of population, they don’t want to pelt stones, they don’t want to indulge in violence, they don’t want to attack the establishment to fulfil any aim,” she said.

“What happened in 2010 had a reason. There was a fake encounter in Machil where three civilians were killed. Then there were allegations of rape and murder in Shopian (in 2009), boys were killed while playing cricket. There was a reason for the people’s anger. This time, an encounter happened, as has been happening, in which three militants were killed. What is the government’s fault in that? People came out on the streets. We imposed curfew.”

She said: “Today, 95 per cent of the boys who have been killed are from poor families. They were killed and wounded in retaliation when they attacked police stations and Army camps. On the lecturer who was killed (beaten to death at Khrew), I am in favour of an inquiry into that killing. But the government at that time (in 2010) said it was against India, it was anti-national.”

She said: “We are not sidelining any political issue. I have brought these people out. When they would run away at the sight of a Task Force Gypsy, when they were taken away for forced labour. I have brought out the children of south Kashmir from that (situation).”

“Today, some people have pushed these children into the furnace for illegitimate aims. I am with the Kashmir issue. There should be dialogue and it should be resolved. But this way, by throwing stones and attacking camps, the issue cannot be resolved,” she said.

By Premji