SRINAGAR: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has urged the youth of India-held Kashmir not to engage in stone-pelting and asked security forces to refrain from using pellet guns against protesters.

He also criticised what he described as Pakistan’s role in the unrest in the disputed Himalayan region.

“We do not need the involvement of any third party to address the situation in Kashmir,” he said at the end of a two-day visit to the troubled region.

He sought to allay tensions in the region, and said: “As far as the Centre is concerned, we are clear that we don’t want a relationship with Kashmir that is based on necessities. We want a relationship that is based on emotional bonds,” he said.

“I would like to tell our neighbouring country, you yourself are affected by terrorism. You had to storm the Lal Masjid to kill the terrorists. But on the other hand, you appeal to Kashmiri youth to take up arms,” he said.

Singh claimed that all steps were being taken to ensure a return to normalcy in Kashmir.

He also held off questions from reporters on the means to calm the situation in the disputed region. “Let us first ensure that normalcy returns. Then, we can decide whether we talk to separatists [anti-India groups] or any other groups,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2016