Srinagar, July 1: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday called on the Centre to use Jammu and Kashmir’s strategic geographical location to strengthen ties with Pakistan and China, revive regional cooperation through SAARC, and transform the Union Territory into a gateway linking South Asia and Central Asia.
Referring to recent geopolitical developments, Mufti said countries were increasingly using geography as a strategic advantage.
“The situation in the world is changing. You saw how Iran used its strategic position to bring even a powerful country like the United States under pressure. Jammu and Kashmir, too, has its own strategic geographical position,” she said.
She maintained that the prolonged India-Pakistan dispute over Jammu and Kashmir had prevented the region from realising its economic and strategic potential.
“The PDP has always advocated reconciliation. Jammu and Kashmir has become a battlefield; it should instead become a bridge of peace between the two countries. There should be people-to-people contact, communication and open routes,” she said.
Welcoming recent statements by senior RSS leaders in favour of dialogue, Mufti said she was encouraged that leaders including Mohan Bhagwat and Dattatreya Hosabale had spoken about engagement and cultural exchanges. She also invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s approach towards India’s neighbours.
“I believe the legacy of a Prime Minister is not measured by how powerful he was or how long he remained in office, but by how many conflicts he resolved,” she said.
Mufti argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif currently have an opportunity to improve bilateral relations and revive regional cooperation.
She called for the revival of SAARC, saying India should take the lead and make Jammu and Kashmir a hub for regional investment and cooperation.
Highlighting connectivity, Mufti questioned why routes linking Ladakh with historic trade centres such as Khotan, Yarkand and Kashgar remained closed when the Lipulekh route in Uttarakhand had recently been opened.
“Our strategic location enables us to become the gateway between Central Asia and South Asia. This could transform the entire map of Jammu and Kashmir and benefit the whole country,” she said.
Mufti also criticised the Centre’s August 2019 decision to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A, alleging that it had failed to resolve political discontent in the region.
“In 2019, the BJP used what I consider its strongest weapon against Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A. Yet nothing substantial has been achieved. Even today, people in Jammu and Kashmir continue to feel alienated,” she said.
Describing the present situation in the Union Territory, Mufti alleged that “the region has been turned into an open-air prison” where people lacked the freedom to speak or hold peaceful protests.
She further argued that improving relations with both Pakistan and China would unlock Jammu and Kashmir’s strategic potential and enhance India’s regional influence.
“My point is that just as Iran has the Strait of Hormuz, India has Jammu and Kashmir, which can become the gateway linking Central Asia and South Asia. We should open these routes and use this strategic advantage. That requires better relations with both China and Pakistan,” she said.
Mufti added that such a policy would fundamentally transform Jammu and Kashmir. “Doing so would completely transform Jammu and Kashmir economically, politically and emotionally,” she said.
