Mehbooba Mufti Says PM Modi Holds Golden Opportunity To Resolve Kashmir Dispute, Initiate Dialogue With Pakistan And Revive SAARC

Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shahbaz Sharif to seize what she calls a “golden opportunity” for dialogue, reconciliation and regional stability.

Welcoming recent statements from senior RSS leaders such as Mohan Bhagwat and Dattatreya Hosabale, who also stressed the need for talks with Pakistan, Mehbooba said the Prime Minister’s legacy should not be judged merely by power but by how many disputes he resolves.

While speaking to republic Tv, Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir has long remained at the centre of India-Pakistan discord, slowing progress of regional platforms like SAARC.

According to her, reviving SAARC and making Jammu and Kashmir an “experiment of cooperation” could transform the region.

“All SAARC countries should invest here,” she said, adding that India should take leadership of the grouping.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba drew parallels with Iran’s use of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that Jammu and Kashmir’s geography could be leveraged as a gateway between South and Central Asia, “Why can’t Khotan, Yarkand or Kashgar open through Ladakh? If we use our strategic position, the entire situation will change,” she added.

However, she warned that confrontation has now extended beyond Pakistan, “After 2019, China has also occupied a lot of land in Ladakh. Why not negotiate and set an example of greatness? Modi should try to improve relations with Pakistan and China. Jammu and Kashmir can play a very important role because roads pass through here,” she said.

PDP president reiterated her party’s stance of reconciliation, saying the Union Territory should become a “bridge of peace” instead of a battleground.

“Roads should be open, there should be movement between the two countries. Good neighbourly relations are essential for peace and stability,” she said, invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous line; “Friends can be changed, but not neighbours,”.

She further pointed to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019, saying it achieved “nothing” and left Jammu and Kashmir “alienated” and “managed day-to-day like an open-air prison,”.

Mehbooba argued that despite the BJP using what she termed the “most dangerous weapon” against the region, no real progress was made.

According to her, Pakistan’s strategic position has given it global relevance, “It is being said they stopped the Third World War. We also have such a position. Why don’t we use it?” she asked, urging both Prime Ministers to initiate dialogue and reduce tensions.

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