‘Secret talks are happening’: Mehbooba Mufti claims India-Pak dialogue is underway behind the scenes

Jammu: People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday advocated for a renewed diplomatic dialogue between India and Pakistan, asserting that clandestine negotiations are currently taking place despite the aggressive public posture maintained by both nations.

Addressing a public assembly in Poonch, the former Chief Minister alleged that "secret talks" have been quietly progressing for the past quarter, involving non-official representatives in international venues.

“They talk about Operation Sindoor. But do you know that for the last three months, secret talks with Pakistan have been going on quietly behind the scenes? Do you know that retired diplomats, retired generals, and others go to foreign countries and sit with Pakistanis for discussions?” Mufti said.

The PDP leader maintained that a permanent resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is unattainable without direct communication. She invoked the political philosophy of her late father, former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, describing his "blueprint" as the sole credible path toward regional stability.

“I want to tell all of you very clearly that without Mufti Sahib’s roadmap, there is no solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” she stated.

Critiquing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mufti remarked that her father frequently predicted that the central government would eventually be forced to return to the negotiating table, regardless of its current policy.

Cross-Border Initiatives and Economic Impact

Mufti reflected on the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade and travel protocols established during the previous PDP-Congress administration. She highlighted the opening of the Rawalakot route as a strategic effort to replace conflict with commerce.

“We opened the Rawalakot route because we wanted trade and business to flourish. Goods would go from here, and money would come from there instead of guns. But even that route was shut,” she lamented.

Regional Grievances and Administrative Demands

The PDP chief argued that residents of the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley have borne the brunt of the 2019 constitutional overhaul, which resulted in the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the state into two Union territories. She further accused the central government of dismissing local aspirations for a separate administrative division and for the designation of Mendhar as a hill district.

Mufti noted that her party had previously sought the appointment of a divisional commissioner for the area to spare citizens the burden of travelling to Jammu or Srinagar for administrative necessities.

Social Concerns and Domestic Policy

The former Chief Minister also addressed rising rates of unemployment and inflation, alleging that the government has marginalised impoverished and tribal groups, specifically the Gujjars and Bakerwals. She defended her party’s past attempts to pass legislation shielding poor families residing on grazing lands, accusing the current administration of unfairly labelling such residents as "land grabbers."

Concluding her remarks with an appeal to the local youth, Mufti encouraged them to reject narcotics and actively engage in the democratic framework by vying for positions in the forthcoming panchayat elections.

With inputs from PTI