Prioritise civil issues over investing on war machinery: Mehbooba
On 26th Foundation Day of the party, Mehbooba also called for reconciliation, dialogue & demilitarisation in Jammu & Kashmir and asked the Centre not to look at the J&K issue through the prism of security. 'What is India's foreign policy without J&K at its heart? Decades of conflict have brought only suffering . Wars end, only to be replaced by new ones. Pakistan has invested in war machinery and India once revered as the 'hathi' for its strength and wisdom, has shackled J&K with a heavy-handed approach.'
Giving an example of China, the former J&K chief minister said that China's GDP shows us where India stands today. 'These are not my words but a reflection of our misplaced priorities,' she said while quoting India's external affairs minister.
Mufti said that our country grapples with poverty. 'Many schools lack basic facilities like toilets and clean drinking water, yet we prioritise buying weapons and deploying more CRPF companies. How much security is enough? Militarisation cannot heal wounds. Until the Centre embraces the people of Jammu and Kashmir with empathy and addresses their genuine aspirations, no progress will be made.'
PDP president in an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.'PM Modi with the mandate of 120 crore people, you have the power to rewrite the story of J&K. If India is to surpass nations like China, it must end this war-like system and take concrete steps toward reconciliation. Restore the trust of the people by engaging in a process that respects their dignity and rights.'
She however criticised the Centre's approach to governance in the region and said the revocation of Article 370 has not brought peace or prosperity but has deepened alienation. 'The people of J&K are not enemies; they are citizens seeking justice and inclusion. The Centre must stop treating this region as a security problem and start addressing it as a political issue requiring dialogue and statesmanship.'
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