The Jammu And Kashmir Chief Minister Mebooba Muft, on Friday, asked police not to kill the terrorists and ‘wean away the youth from joining the militant ranks’.

While speaking at the Police Commemoration Day function held at Armed Police Complex in Zeewan area, Mehbooba said, “My appeal to the police is to bring those who have joined militancy home, whenever possible, instead of them making them fall prey to encounters. If they (militants) become a part of the mainstream, we can hand them a bat or a ball or a pen instead of guns.”

The CM’s statement came after a video showed new Hizbul Mujahideen commander asking the youth to join the militant ranks and the youth hugging each other in an orchard.

She said, “When the graph of militancy comes down, there would be more opportunities for the two countries to talk. Pakistan must understand we are neighbors and Indians, Pakistanis are the same people.”

Adding that she is glad to see cross-LoC bus and trade service continuing despite hostile situation, Mufti, referring to former Prime Minister Ata Bihari Vajpayee’ efforts to maintain initial and external peace, said, “With a robust mandate on his back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the opportunity to resolve the Kashmir issue in the interest of peace and stability in the region.”

Launching veiled attack that the separatists, she asked, “Why did you push youth towards camps and towards violence, used them as shields and fled from the scene yourself?”

“Give peace a chance and I will again plead with the leadership in New Delhi to talk to all shades of the political opinion in J&K, including the separatists,” she further added.

She said that Pakistan should reciprocate with open mind and in good faith to the peace initiative.