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Srinagar : PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said there is no need to take the US seriously as American intervention has only caused destruction worldwide.
Her remarks came a day after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited Srinagar. In a joint media briefing with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, Gor said J-K is an important part of India and an incredibly beautiful place.
He also said that the United States will reconsider advisories on travel to J-K as the central government and Abdullah have taken steps to make it a safer place.
“They are not our masters that they will give us a certificate and then only there would be a dialogue.”
The former J-K chief minister said there was a time when the US was a superpower, but its influence was on the decline due to its intervention in other parts of the world.
“Day by day, due to its role and the destruction it has caused worldwide, it is going down economically and politically. So, we should not take it so seriously,” she added.
Mehbooba said it was not the first time that the US ambassador had visited J-K.
“The only difference is that before 2019, any ambassador who came here used to meet people from every section of society like people from tourism, trade, travel and even those who hold other opinions. Then they would go back with their own opinion,” she said.
However, she added that after 2019, when the Centre revoked J-K’s special status, “all these tours by foreign dignitaries are curated”.
“They come here, they don’t meet anyone other than the chief minister and the governor, and then they take a Shikara ride and leave,” she said.
The PDP president said she agreed with Chief Minister Abdullah over his comments that the solution to the issues of J-K will not come from the US but from the central government.
“The solutions to the issues of Jammu and Kashmir cannot come from the US; New Delhi will have to resolve them. However, I was hoping Omar would at least tell the visiting US ambassador about the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“He should have expressed our displeasure over how the US and Israel attacked Iran, martyred over 150 girls there, martyred their leadership and carried out bombardments. He (Abdullah) should have pointed out that the US’ habit of inciting unrest in Muslim countries and launching unprovoked attacks also affects Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Mehbooba, however, criticised the chief minister over his “silence” on the problems faced by the people of J-K.
“Just as I was coming here, I received a message that last night in Karimabad, Pulwama, where a search operation had been ongoing for days, the Army pulled out an Imam, beat him and pulled his beard. Young men are harassed and forced to do physical punishments like sit-ups.
“Thousands of our people remain locked in jails, people are being fired from their jobs on a daily basis. Raids are conducted regularly and properties are actively attached,” she said.
She alleged there is a “suffocating atmosphere” in J-K “where people feel they cannot speak openly or even breathe freely”.
“Omar could have spoken about these issues; he didn’t need to talk to Washington for this. Like (PDP founder and former chief minister) Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) persuaded Delhi during (prime minister) (A B) Vajpayee’s government and started a reconciliation process leading to dialogues across all sections, talks with Pakistan, and the opening of cross-border routes.
“If Omar sahab cannot do anything else, he could at least advocate for reopening the Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot routes where trade has been completely halted,” she said.
Mehbooba added that Abdullah must persuade Delhi to address the issues and the “everyday hardships” the people of J-K were facing.
The PDP president alleged that Abdullah had “lowered the status of the chief minister”.
“The BJP has reduced the status of our chief minister from a “headmaster” to a mere “master”. But, the way Omar (Abdullah) operates, issuing statements before even the ambassador had arrived about exactly what he would or wouldn’t discuss, lowers his status even further. There was simply no need for that,” she said.
On the US ambassador’s statement about reviewing the travel advisory for J-K, Mehbooba hoped there would be a review.
“He (Gor) also mentioned engaging more economically with the region. I hope this means investing in our local horticulture and handicrafts to create jobs and tangible economic benefits; that is an avenue that needs to be explored,” she said. (AGENCIES)
