J&K should become bridge of peace, not battleground: Mehbooba

Srinagar, Jul 1: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir should become “a bridge of peace, not a battleground” and called for improving relations with Pakistan and China to open trade and travel routes through the region .
Speaking to reporters, Mehbooba Mufti said that the PDP has consistently advocated reconciliation and dialogue. She said reopening routes and promoting cultural exchanges could help improve ties between neighbouring countries and benefit Jammu and Kashmir as well as the rest of the country .
She said Jammu and Kashmir’s geographical location gives it the potential to serve as a gateway between South Asia and Central Asia. According to her, opening routes and improving connectivity would boost trade, investment and economic activity .
Mufti said the legacy of any Prime Minister should be measured by the conflicts resolved rather than the length of time spent in office. She said the present leadership in India and Pakistan has an opportunity to improve bilateral relations and reduce tensions .
Referring to the 2019 constitutional changes in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A had not achieved the intended results. She alleged that people in the region continue to feel alienated and that there are restrictions on public expression and protests .
Calling for dialogue with Pakistan and China, Mufti said better relations with both neighbours would help unlock Jammu and Kashmir’s strategic and economic potential. She said reopening traditional routes could transform the region economically, politically and socially .
“Jammu and Kashmir should become a bridge of peace, not a battleground. We should open the routes and improve relations with our neighbours so that the region becomes a gateway between South Asia and Central Asia,” Mufti said .
Earlier, Mufti had written to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, urging them to resume dialogue and welcoming recent remarks by senior RSS leaders supporting engagement with Pakistan. She urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize the opportunity to resolve the Kashmir issue through talks, saying lasting peace would benefit the entire region .
“The Kashmir issue has stalled SAARC. An organisation India could have led has become defunct due to tensions with Pakistan,” she said, adding that by resolving their differences, both Prime Ministers could transform Jammu and Kashmir into a bridge of peace between the two nations. (KNS)