Kashmir issue needs healing talks rather than UAPA, says Mehbooba Mufti
The PDP president warned that the current silence in Kashmir could lead to a volcano erupting if addressed incorrectly.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday that the Kashmir issue will be resolved through talks that heal rather than through the use of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) or the Public Safety Act (PSA). Speaking at a workers’ convention at Sher-i-Kashmir Park in Srinagar, Mufti asked the Centre to stop experimenting with Jammu and Kashmir.
According to The Hindu, Mufti stated that the issue will not be resolved by jailing people, terminating government employees' jobs under special security provisions, or through a baton policy. She said the resolution lies in initiating talks to heal wounds and opening roads.
Mufti noted that while the PDP managed to open two roads for trade with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, those roads are currently closed. She questioned why roads with China can be opened in Uttarakhand but people in Kashmir are not allowed to travel to China’s Kashgar and Khotan.
The PDP leader warned that the current silence in Kashmir will not last long and described a brewing volcano that could endanger everyone if not addressed. She also criticised the removal of consent regarding land being given to a film city and the eviction of tribals from their land.
Mufti accused the late National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah of sowing seeds of suspicion about Kashmiris. She further alleged duplicity by Dr Farooq Abdullah, claiming his recent statements regarding Pakistan gave the impression that all Kashmiris are Pakistanis, which she said has led to local youth and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders being jailed.