By IANS
Srinagar : Though Kashmiris have always reacted emotionally to developments in Pakistan, their reaction to the storming of the Lal Masjid by Pakistani security forces has been guarded, with some separatist leaders saying it was an "internal matter" of Pakistan and the government had "acted in haste".
"It is an internal matter of Pakistan, but I am grieved over the loss of lives there. Efforts were made to avoid the bloodshed, but unfortunately those did not yield any result," said Shabir Shah, senior separatist leader and chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party.
"The entire development and its unfortunate conclusion prove how vulnerable we as Muslims have become. I regret the loss of life in the Lal Masjid operation," said Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister and patron of the regional National Conference.
Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat group led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, was however forthright in his comments. "I fully support the action taken by the government of Pakistan which was justified. No place of worship should be made a battlefield," Professor Gani told IANS here.
Syed Ali Geelani, the hardline separatist leader and chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat group, said the Pakistan government had "acted in haste".
"I believe the situation could have been saved through the intervention of religious leaders and politicians if the government in Pakistan had waited for some time more.
"This is an unfortunate event as human lives have been lost on both sides," he said.
A majority of common Kashmiris were non-committal over the issue, though some strongly feel that the state cannot be held hostage by anybody.
"The clergy must realise and identify its limits. If the distinction between the state and the clergy in Pakistan is obliterated then the future of Pakistan would be in jeopardy," said Muhammad Muzaffar, a college teacher.
Mehraj-ud-Din, 56, who lives in downtown Srinagar city, believes the storming of the mosque could have been avoided if the Pakistani establishment had not given the hardline mullahs a long rope.
"The presence of such a large number of armed men inside the mosque could not have happened in the first place unless the government allowed it. Now there has been bloodshed, which is unfortunate. But Musharraf hardly had an alternative," Mehraj-ud-Din said.
Some locals opposed the military action by President Pervez Musharraf, in which over 100 militants were killed.
"He acted against his own people though they held different views on politics. The channels of communication were not completely exhausted. Anyway, it is a sad day for Pakistan," said Bashir Ahmad, 25, a university student here.