Mufti is pushing for India-Pakistan dialogue once more. She says that while what leaders say in public is very harsh, people have actually been communicating in private. She was speaking in Poonch on Sunday and said that lasting peace in Kashmir needs discussions. Delaying these talks, she warned, will only make the area’s social and financial hardships worse.
Backchannel claim puts spotlight on Delhi’s stance
Mufti stated that these “secret talks” have been going on for three months; she says retired diplomats and military leaders from India have been meeting with people from Pakistan in other countries. This, along with mentioning ‘Operation Sindoor’, goes against the common idea that the only choices are to fight or be silent.
She believes the plan her late father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had for a political solution is the only one that will work. She argues that Delhi will eventually have to start talking directly, whatever it says right now. She believes dialogue isn’t something to be given to the other side, but something needed for there to be peace.
Trade over tension: what reopening routes could mean
Shifting from the big picture of relationships between countries to how people make a living, Mufti brought up the trade and travel across the Line of Control that was started by a previous government of the PDP and the Congress Party. The Rawalakot route was opened to change things so that doing business with each other was more important than fighting.
She’s unhappy that route is now closed, and says that closing it has harmed local businesses and stopped a very delicate move towards things being normal. For communities on both sides of the LoC, she thinks regular trade is much better for calming things down and giving people a stable income than any speech.
Regional grievances after 2019 changes
Mufti says people in the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley areas have suffered more than most since the changes to the constitution in 2019 which removed Article 370 and divided the former state into two areas governed by the central government. She accuses the national government of ignoring requests from the area for its own administrative division, and for Mendhar to be declared a hilly district.
She says her party had previously asked for a commissioner to be in charge of the region, so that ordinary government work wouldn’t mean a very long trip to Jammu or Srinagar. She thinks having the government close to the people is part of earning back their trust.
Social concerns, youth outreach, and the road ahead
When it comes to what’s happening within the country, Mufti says unemployment and the rising cost of living are issues. She says that poor and tribal communities are being pushed aside. She mentioned the Gujjars and Bakerwals specifically, supporting earlier attempts to protect families who live on land where their animals graze and criticizing the current practice of calling these people “land stealers”.
She finished by asking young people to stay away from drugs and to become part of public life by running for election to local councils (panchayats). She suggests that getting involved is the best way to combat feeling left out and is a way to make real improvements.
The following points sum up the political and policy agenda she advanced in Poonch:
– Called for India-Pakistan dialogue
– Claimed secret talks for the last three months
– Urged revival of cross-LoC trade via Rawalakot route
– Sought administrative attention for Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley
– Pressed for Mendhar as a hill district
– Demanded a divisional commissioner for the area
– Defended Gujjars and Bakerwals on grazing lands
– Encouraged youth to join panchayat elections
Why it matters now
By saying that conversations are already happening privately, Mufti is questioning the idea that India should not talk to Pakistan at all. If she is right, the difference between what is said publicly and what is done in secret could affect what both sides of the LoC expect.
She connects discussions with other countries to how people live their lives by focusing on trade, local government, and helping vulnerable people. She says peace is built from the bottom up – by doing things like reopening routes like Rawalakot, giving more power to offices in the region, and protecting those in need – and isn’t just created at meetings.
