Mehbooba favours revival of sporting ties between India, Pak

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday favoured revival of sporting ties between India and Pakistan to normalise the tense situation in the aftermath of the recent events, including the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

She said the war clouds hanging over the region are not in favour of the country which is grappling with unemployment and poverty.

“There should be sporting events (between India and Pakistan) if you want to live in peace and not spend money on the war. If we want to overcome unemployment and poverty, then you have to normalise the situation and sports is the best bet in achieving this goal,” the former Chief Minister told reporters here.

Terrorists struck the Pahalgam hill resort on April 22, killing 25 tourists and a local. In retaliation, the Indian armed forces struck terror infrastructure across the border on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, leading to a four-day military clash between the two countries.

She said the Indo-Pakistan war is over but the atmosphere is still prevalent in the country. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for avoiding a nuclear war. Unfortunately, the BJP has created such an atmosphere in the country that all parties are asking why the government went for a ceasefire with Pakistan, she said.

“That is, the war should have continued. Look at the mentality. What is happening in our country? Why did you do this? And this is the policy of the BJP, of that aggression. It has brought aggression among the people,” she said.

“Now all the parties in the Opposition are compelled because if they do not say something like this they will be dubbed anti-national. If anyone doesn’t say bomb Pakistan, he will be treated as anti-national, if no one supports cruel policies in Jammu and Kashmir, they are anti-national,” Mufti said.

She said India could have played a leadership role in south Asia but the situation is that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is being hijacked by China because “we do not talk to the neighbours.”

On the US imposing 25 per cent tariff on India, she alleged that the BJP-led government has failed in both domestic and foreign policy.

“Diplomatically, we have failed... Time and again, the US President talks about India. He is threatening. Why is he threatening? Because our country completely surrendered in front of America and now its President is trampling us,” Mufti said.