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 collective political outreach to the Central Government, arguing that Jammu and Kashmir requires dialogue and consensus to address prevailing political and public concerns.
The letter places dialogue and political engagement at the center of Mehbooba Mufti’s appeal and draws parallels with recent developments in Ladakh where negotiations involving the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance yielded progress with the Centre.
In her communication, Mehbooba said she had earlier sought an appointment with the Chief Minister but, owing to his preoccupation, was taking the liberty of writing directly as “time is running out.”
She described Jammu and Kashmir as standing “at a crossroads” and referred to what she called a pervasive sense of despair and disillusionment among people.
According to Mehbooba, the recent breakthroughs achieved by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance carried an important message that “only dialogue can deliver meaningful outcomes.”
She argued that Jammu and Kashmir needed a broad political consensus rising above party lines to overcome what she termed a debilitating stalemate.
“If we want to restore the dignity and security of our people, a constructive dialogue with Government of India is a much needed imperative,” she wrote.
The PDP chief urged Omar Abdullah to take the lead in bringing political parties together through an official meeting and subsequently undertake a formal outreach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for sustained dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir.
She stressed that political disagreements and partisan differences should be kept aside in the larger public interest.
“This cannot become a matter of appropriating political credit or point scoring. Rather it must become a moment of unification,” she wrote.
Mehbooba maintained that disagreements and political squabbling among regional parties had harmed the collective interests of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the post-2019 political landscape.
She suggested that if political engagement and dialogue had produced outcomes in Ladakh, similar efforts could be pursued in Jammu and Kashmir.
Calling Omar Abdullah’s support essential for the success of such an initiative, Mehbooba said genuine unity in the present circumstances could help restore rights and dignity guaranteed under the Constitution.
She further said she was attaching a list of political parties already approached and invited the Chief Minister to include additional stakeholders deemed necessary for the proposed initiative. [KNT]
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