Srinagar: Launching a scathing attack on the Omar Abdullah-led government, Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said that people had hoped the elected government would provide them relief, but nothing is happening. She said the termination of employees for allegations of being involved in militancy is continuing in the elected government.
“A police constable is among the terminated employees who were attacked by militancy some years ago and has 85 stitches in his body due to bullet injuries. Raids and crackdowns on people are not stopping. People had hoped for relief, their safety, but that is not happening,” Mehbooba told reporters in Srinagar.
Mehbooba asked the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, to refrain from endorsing the August 5, 2019, decision in the formulation of business rules for the assembly. She warned that such a move would legitimise the “illegal and unconstitutional” actions taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A.
“While the BJP may not restore these rights, it is likely that India, as a nation, will have to do so sooner or later. Any endorsement by the J&K government would weaken this claim and diminish the state’s position. We have to keep the argument and narrative alive,” she said.
The PDP chief reminded the BJP-led union government of the understanding it showed during the peak of unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Thousands of FIRs of stone pelters were quashed; the Ramazan ceasefire was declared. A high-powered delegation was sent to engage with the people of J&K, including separatists, who unfortunately declined the offer. At the time, separatists believed that stone-pelting, burning schools and hospitals, and attacking army camps and police stations would resolve the Kashmir issue. However, things only worsened,” she said.
She urged the BJP to come down from its “high horse” and acknowledge that the situation in J&K is not as normal as it appears. “The façade of normalcy has been created by the force of agencies and the imposition of draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). But this will not last forever. The government must reconsider its approach, reach out to the people, and build on the confidence-building measures initiated during my tenure,” Mehbooba added.
Mehbooba also stressed the need to reopen key trade routes, such as Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot, to boost the region’s economy. “As Jammu is increasingly sidelined, the Jammu-Sialkot route should also be revived to provide a market for Jammu’s products,” she said.
She highlighted the severe economic and political assault on the region, stating, “Unemployment has skyrocketed, plunging youth into despair. Bureaucratic hurdles have made everyday life miserable. The Reorganisation Act is being solidified, further eroding J&K’s autonomy.”
She also criticised the government’s misplaced priorities, such as opposing the ban on alcohol while ignoring critical issues like the dilution of the resolution on Article 370 and the hollow promise of statehood. “There’s no progress on resuming cross-LoC trade, which remains a vital economic lifeline. Banned organisations still face no relief, and political space continues to shrink. There is no amnesty for youth, who continue to face persecution,” she added.
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