Ever since the fall of the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent abrogation of Article 370, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti simply cannot come to terms with the speed and efficiency displayed by the Modi government to bring the region back to normalcy. Mufti seems to be living in the yesteryear as after a terrorist killed two policemen in Srinagar, the former J&K CM is now advocating for dialogue with Pakistan, seemingly oblivious of the fact that Pakistan is no longer a party in Kashmir.
It seems that the effects of a long-drawn house arrest are already showing on Mehbooba Mufti as she seems adrift of the ground reality.
A day after a terrorist opened fire in the Barzulla area of Srinagar, which saw two policemen killed in action, Mehbooba urged the Modi government to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan to ensure peace in the region.
“They (Centre) should start the dialogue process – be it with the people here or with Pakistan because they always say that Pakistan creates violence here. Then at least, for the sake of ending this violence, a dialogue process can be started,” said former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti.
She added that the Modi government should consider, “for how long will the people of J&K continue to be sacrificed, whether it is policemen or any other youth. This is a big issue and it should be resolved so that bloodshed in J&K can be stopped and people can live in peace.”
It is important to note how Mehbooba insinuated that it is the Centre which states that Pakistan is creating violence in the region. An experienced hand in Jammu and Kashmir like Mehbooba Mufti must be well aware of the ground realities and how Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has been the root cause of the region’s problems. Any keen observer of Kashmir and its intricacies would vouch for this fact. However, Mehbooba won’t attest to this fact perhaps because of vested interests.
The killing of constable Suhail Ahmad and Mohammad Yousuf is indeed concerning and heartbreaking, however, one cannot deny the fact that ever since the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan backed terrorists are running for their lives as the Indian government works at a breakneck speed to clean the region.
Just six months into 2020, 101 terrorists, including the likes of Riyaz Naikoo had been eliminated by the security forces. Pakistan’s grip on the region is increasingly slipping and in fact, it is even struggling to keep hold of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti seems to be living in a parallel world where Pakistan is supposedly a party when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir.