Pro-war rhetoric is dangerous, says Mehbooba
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday warned against the rising tide of war rhetoric, emphasising that Jammu and Kashmir has always borne the brunt of war and violence. She said J&K should be a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan, and not a theatre of war.
'The PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of people. We must end the spectre of war so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy,' she said.
Reacting to recent remarks by the National Conference (NC) leadership, including party president Farooq Abdullah's call for intensified military action against Pakistan, Mehbooba said such statements reflect a dangerous mindset. 'When the Indus Water Treaty was put in abeyance by the Union government, it was chief minister Omar Abdullah who hailed the move and even advocated for an immediate halt to water supplies to Pakistan. We may have political differences with the government of Pakistan, but not with its people. It is saddening that such remarks are being made by the leader of the only Muslim-majority state in the country,' she said. She further criticised Farooq for supporting assaults 'more brutal than the Balakot strike'.
'These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. It is only the PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and has spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity,' she said.
The PDP president also expressed concern over the ongoing crackdown in the region.
Reflecting on the 2014 coalition formation, Mehbooba recalled that her father, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, entered the alliance not for power but for the greater good.
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