Centre should abandon security-centric approach, engage in dialogue to resolve J&K issues: Mehbooba Mufti
'The recent (India-Pakistan) war (after the Pahalgam attack) achieved nothing but destruction on this side and an unwanted arms race in the region. I don't know what happened on that side. PDP founder Mufti Muhammad Sayeed always talked about friendship, peace and opposed war. India has to play the role of big brother in the region,' Ms. Mufti said while addressing the party workers at the Sher-i-Kashmir Park.
She urged the Centre 'to abandon its security-centric approach in J&K and embrace meaningful reconciliation and dialogue to address the region's long-standing issues'.
Ms. Mufti said the leadership of J&K has a 'role in advising India to enter into a dialogue and avoid war'.
'The war is always played out in J&K. 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 Jammu and Kashmir with a heavy-handed approach,' Ms. Mufti said.
Lack of basic facilities
Highlighting the socio-economic neglect the region was facing, Ms. Mufti said, '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 to J&K. 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,' Ms. Mufti.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the mandate and power to resolve the Kashmir issue, Ms. Mufti said, 'PM ModiJi has 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 also underlined that the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 has 'only 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,' she added.
She said her party stand is 'commitment to dialogue, a vision set by its founder, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed'.
'Our goal is a peaceful, prosperous J&K, integrated with India through mutual respect, not coercion. Peace with dignity and not peace through war is needed,' she said.
The PDP also urged the Centre to initiate a credible process, restore democratic institutions in its true sense, and prioritise the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to build a future of peace and progress.
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