Mehbooba Mufti Dubs August 5 As ‘day Of Mourning’, Pitches Dialogue With Pakistan Again

Coming down heavily on the Centre, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti dubbed August 5 as a “day of mourning” in reference to 2 years since the abrogation of Article 370.

Coming down heavily on the Centre, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti dubbed August 5 as a “day of mourning” in reference to two years since the abrogation of Article 370. Addressing the media on Thursday, she said, “It is a matter of shame that BJP is celebrating in the country for something which the Kashmiri is mourning. People are being rounded up. The shopkeepers are being warned to keep their shops open failing which their lease will be cancelled”. Moreover, she vowed to “resist” the purported “unbridled oppression” and “gross injustice” heaped on the people of the Union Territory.

Ex-Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti remarked, “Thousands of our children are imprisoned under UAPA and many youngsters were hauled up in police stations in the last two days. They have been detained there until August 5 gets over. This barbarism and injustice will not continue and we will resist it”. Furthermore, she contended that the Center will have to restore the statehood and special status of J&K- which was revoked on August 5, 2019.

Maintaining that PDP will “compel” India to resolve the Kashmir issues, she added, “They should talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address the internal dimension. And they should talk to Pakistan about the external dimension. There is no other alternative . They are already talking to Pakistan which led to the ceasefire. This has resulted in a reduction in infiltration. PDP feels that Jammu and Kashmir should become the bridge of peace between India and Pakistan. These fights have to stop.”

A Presidential notification combined with requisite legislation passed by both the House of Parliament in August 2019 led to Article 370 becoming virtually redundant. This implied that the special status of J&K was scrapped. Additionally, the region was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. Thereafter, restrictions on the movement of people and communication were imposed in the state, which was gradually lifted over the months.

After leaders such as former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were released post months of detention, 6 political parties joined hands to form the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in August 2020. The principle aim of this alliance is to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and statehood. Subsequently, PAGD emerged as the single-largest party in the first-ever District Development Council polls in J&K by bagging 110 seats.

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