Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti today criticised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his interaction with the US Ambassador, saying he should have used the meeting to highlight the concerns and grievances of people in the Union Territory.
Reacting to the US diplomat’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said visits by foreign dignitaries were not new but claimed that, before 2019, ambassadors interacted with a broader cross-section of society.
“The only difference is that prior to 2019, whenever any ambassador visited, they would meet people from all walks of life, representing various schools of thought and different sections of society,” she said.
According to Mufti, representatives from tourism, trade, travel and other sectors would also meet visiting diplomats, enabling them to develop a broader understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“However, after 2019, all visits by foreign dignitaries have been curated. They arrive, meet nobody else except the Chief Minister and the Governor, take a ride on a Shikara, and leave,” she alleged.
Mufti said she agreed with Omar Abdullah’s reported assertion that the problems of Jammu and Kashmir could not be resolved in Washington and that New Delhi would ultimately have to address them.
However, she argued that the Chief Minister should have used his interaction with the US Ambassador to convey the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She said these concerns included apprehensions over US and Israeli military action against Iran, as well as what she described as hardships faced by people in the Union Territory.
Mufti also alleged that security operations, arrests, employee dismissals and property attachments had contributed to a sense of insecurity among the people.
Referring to a reported cordon-and-search operation in the Karimabad area of Pulwama, she alleged that an Imam was pulled out of his home, beaten and had his beard torn. She further alleged that young people were being harassed and intimidated during such operations.
“These are issues. Thousands of our people are languishing in jails, employees are terminated from their jobs daily, raids are carried out and properties are attached,” she said.
Mufti claimed that a “prevailing sense of suffocation” existed in Jammu and Kashmir and that many people were afraid to speak openly about their concerns.
The PDP chief also referred to the tenure of her late father and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, saying he had persuaded New Delhi to initiate a reconciliation process.
She said dialogue was subsequently pursued with different sections of society as well as Pakistan, while cross-border routes were opened as part of confidence-building measures.
“At least Omar Sahib could have raised the issue of reopening the Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot trade routes that remain suspended,” she said.
Mufti argued that the Chief Minister should use his political position to persuade the Centre to address what she described as the genuine hardships confronting people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Commenting on the US Ambassador’s reported remarks about reviewing the travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir and increasing economic engagement, Mufti said she hoped the proposed measures would translate into tangible benefits for the region.
“If it creates jobs and benefits our horticulture and handicrafts sectors economically, it is welcome,” she said.
Mufti also criticised the BJP and Omar Abdullah over what she described as the declining stature of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister.
“The BJP has reduced the stature of our Chief Minister from a ‘headmaster’ to a mere ‘assistant master’. However, by pre-emptively setting boundaries and stating what he will and will not speak about before the Ambassador’s visit, Omar Sahib has lowered his own stature even below that,” she said.
She maintained that Omar Abdullah should instead focus on pressing the Centre to address the concerns of the people.
“Despite having only 16 members, Mufti Sahib convinced Delhi to open roads, hold dialogues and resolve issues. Omar Sahib too must convince New Delhi to address the genuine hardships the people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing today,” she said.
