JNM journalist Hardeep Jamwal, Jammu
Mehbooba Mufti advocated continued dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying that the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issues is possible only through dialogue. She welcomed the statement by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale, who called for keeping the channels of dialogue open between India and Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said that her party has always believed that dialogue with Pakistan is essential for lasting peace and a better environment in the region. She said, “There is no other way except dialogue.”
Referring to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous saying, “You can change friends, but not neighbors,” she said that maintaining dialogue with neighboring countries is the need of the hour. Mehbooba said that many countries around the world are trying to resolve complex issues through dialogue, and India and Pakistan should also move in this direction.
Mehbooba Mufti claimed that during the tenures of former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when the dialogue process between India and Pakistan was underway, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved and incidents of violence had decreased.
She also said that in recent months, informal talks have begun in a third country between retired Indian and Pakistani officials, which could yield positive results in the future.
Mehbooba Mufti also targeted the National Conference. She said that if Jammu and Kashmir’s major hydroelectric projects had not been handed over to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, the state’s economic situation and employment opportunities could have been much better.
Following this statement by Mehbooba Mufti, discussions regarding India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir issue have once again intensified in Jammu and Kashmir politics.
