Follow Atal Bihari Vajpayee formula for peace along border: PDP

PDP in Jammu and Kashmir today expressed grief over the loss of lives in recent ceasefire violations and said Prime Minister Naredra Modi should follow the peace offensive initiated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his tenure.

"There was no reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not employ similar peace offensive as the one initiated by Vajpayee with Pakistan so that people of the state get a reprieve from constant war and threat of it," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.

"PDP wants to make it clear to the national leadership and the government of Pakistan that the people of the state would resist through all democratic means the heightening of tension between the two countries," she said while addressing a number of roadside meetings in Doru segment of her Anantanag parliamentary constituency in south Kashmir.

Mehbooba said the only sufferers of this heightened tension are the people of the state. The Member of Parliament said every bullet or a mortar shell fired hits only the residents of the state whether they were on this side or the other.

Stressing on the need for building a strong peace initiative from within the state, Mehbooba said more than a decade back the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had opened a new chapter by responding to the urge for peace and dignified resolution during his historic visit to Srinagar.

"The people of the state, especially those living in border areas, had experienced an entirely new found peace and environment of security after the 2003 ceasefire with Pakistan," she said.