SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging him to convene an all-party meeting and initiate a coordinated political outreach to the Union Government on issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
In her letter, Mufti emphasised the need for dialogue and consensus-building, arguing that the Union Territory requires sustained political engagement to address prevailing public and political concerns. She drew a parallel with recent developments in Ladakh, noting that negotiations involving the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance had led to progress with the Centre.
Mufti stated that she had earlier sought an appointment with the Chief Minister but, given his preoccupation, chose to communicate in writing, saying “time is running out”.
Describing Jammu and Kashmir as being “at a crossroads”, she referred to what she termed a growing sense of despair and disillusionment among the people. She said the recent outcomes of dialogue in Ladakh demonstrated that “only dialogue can deliver meaningful outcomes”.
The PDP president argued that Jammu and Kashmir required a broad-based political consensus beyond party lines to overcome what she described as a prolonged stalemate. She maintained that constructive engagement with the Government of India was necessary to restore the dignity and security of the people.
Mufti also urged Omar Abdullah to lead efforts to bring together political parties for a formal meeting, followed by outreach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for sustained discussions on Jammu and Kashmir.
She stressed that political differences should be set aside in the wider public interest, stating that the process should not be reduced to political credit-claiming or point scoring, but seen as an opportunity for unity.
According to her, internal disagreements among regional parties had weakened collective interests, particularly in the post-2019 political environment. She suggested that if dialogue had yielded results in Ladakh, similar efforts could be pursued for Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti added that Omar Abdullah’s participation would be crucial for the success of such an initiative, saying that genuine unity could help in restoring constitutional rights and dignity. She also mentioned that she had enclosed a list of parties already approached and invited the Chief Minister to include other relevant stakeholders in the proposed process.
