Come up with alternative to ‘Azad Kashmir’: Mufti

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 14

PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday called for the need to move forward on Kashmir and sought the help of people to “replace the idea of ‘Azad Kashmir’ within the framework of the Constitution”.

Speaking at an event organised in Mumbai, the PDP leader said, “We cannot go back to 1947”, implying that the past is past and no amount of wars or international interventions could help resolve the Kashmir issue. To do so, she underscored the need to “move forward”. Mehbooba Mufti, who opened her heart at the event organised by the Observer Research Foundation, titled ‘Kashmir —- the way forward, said, “After the 2014 (Assembly) elections, we joined hands with the BJP. It was a suicide.”

She said, “We put everything on the line because we hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pick up from where Atal Bihari Vajpayee left. Unfortunately, Modi could not rise to the occasion.”

“During the time of Vajpayee,” she said, “the people of Kashmir thought of him as a leader who cared. Even Pakistan responded positively resulting in reduced militancy and ceasefire violations”.

Mehbooba touched on several other issues, including the need to build upon the opening of the Karatarpur corridor to other connectivity projects between the two countries, particularly in J&K, and the role of the country to understand Kashmir in its proper perspective. She also advised the media to present facts and not “add fuel to the fire.”