ISLAMABAD:Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, has called upon the Modi government to hold talks with Pakistan and the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to find out the permanent solution of the Kashmir dispute.
According to reporter, she also suggested opening of Jammu and Kashmir borders and implementation of self-rule to make the region an economic hub and a gateway between Central Asia and India.
“People of J&K are very much politically aware. The J&K problem needs to be resolved by taking all the stakeholders on board,” she stressed.
She said the people were disappointed and feel broken in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370. Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into an open air prison, Iltija said, “We do not have the civil rights and liberties.”
“They want to dis empower the people. They robbed our clothes and their intention is to shift the goal post but they have failed,” she said.
Iltija said the Modi government was trying to project tourism as a sign of normalcy but the fact was that the civilian killings have increased 20 percent since 2019. “the peace they were talking about is graveyard silence which they have managed by filling up jails and creating fear among the people,” she said.
“J&K is strategically located and has many things common with central Asia,” she said and asked the Indian government to use the opportunity and make the borders irrelevant, facilitate self-rule, trade and movement of people for economic integration.
Referring to her statements after the detention of her mother under the Public Safety Act (PSA) following the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, she said, “I came forward and started talking because of a vacuum, otherwise I would not have as I have no glamor for both politics and camera.”