SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday criticised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his interaction with the US Ambassador, saying he should have used the meeting to highlight the concerns and grievances of people in the Union Territory.
Reacting to the US diplomat’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said such visits were not new but claimed that foreign dignitaries had interacted with a wider cross-section of society before 2019.
“The only difference is that prior to 2019, whenever any ambassador visited, they would meet people from all walks of life, representing various schools of thought and different sections of society,” she said.
She said representatives from tourism, trade and travel, among other sectors, would meet visiting diplomats, allowing them to form their own understanding of the situation.
“However, after 2019, all visits by foreign dignitaries have been curated. They arrive, meet nobody else except the Chief Minister and the Governor, take a ride on a Shikara, and leave,” Mufti said.
Mufti said she agreed with Omar Abdullah’s reported assertion that the problems of Jammu and Kashmir could not be resolved in Washington and that New Delhi would have to address them.
However, she said Abdullah should have conveyed the concerns of people in Jammu and Kashmir to the US Ambassador, including their apprehensions over the US and Israeli military action against Iran.
She also criticised the chief minister for not raising what she described as the hardships faced by people in Jammu and Kashmir, including security operations, arrests, employee dismissals and property attachments.
Referring to the reported cordon-and-search operation in Karimabad area of Pulwama, Mufti alleged that an Imam was pulled out of his home, beaten and had his beard torn. She also alleged that young people were being harassed and intimidated during such operations.
“These are issues. Thousands of our people are languishing in jails, employees are terminated from their jobs daily, raids are carried out and properties are attached,” she said.
Mufti said there was a “prevailing sense of suffocation” in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that people were afraid to speak openly.
She also referred to the tenure of her late father and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, saying he had persuaded New Delhi to initiate a reconciliation process.
She said dialogue was held with different sections of society and Pakistan, while cross-border routes were also opened.
“At least Omar Sahib could have raised the issue of reopening the Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot trade routes that remain suspended,” she said.
On the US Ambassador’s reported statement about reviewing the travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir and increasing economic engagement, Mufti said she hoped the measures would materialise.
“If it creates jobs and benefits our horticulture and handicrafts sectors economically, it is welcome,” she said.
Mufti also criticised the BJP and Omar Abdullah over what she described as the diminishing stature of the chief minister.
“The BJP has reduced the stature of our Chief Minister from a ‘headmaster’ to a mere ‘assistant master’. However, by pre-emptively setting boundaries and stating what he will and will not speak about before the Ambassador’s visit, Omar Sahib has lowered his own stature even below that,” she said.
Mufti said Omar Abdullah should instead use his position to persuade the Centre to address the concerns of the people.
“Despite having only 16 members, Mufti Sahib convinced Delhi to open roads, hold dialogues and resolve issues. Omar Sahib too must convince New Delhi to address the genuine hardships the people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing today,” she said.
