Mehbooba calls for United Front on J&K; Omar Abdullah counters appointment claim

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday responded to PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's public appeal for an all-party initiative to engage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, clarifying that her request for a meeting was made only recently and had not been pending for an extended period. Reacting to Mufti's letter, which was made public, Omar Abdullah wrote on social media: "Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba, we spoke on Saturday when you asked to meet. I told you I was in Pahalgam on Sunday and would get in touch on Monday or Tuesday to fix a meeting. Your letter gives the impression that I've kept you waiting for an appointment for weeks on end, which is clearly not the case. Be that as it may, your letter to me is now in the public domain, and I will be sending you a reply, similarly routed, once I've consulted my senior party colleagues."

The Chief Minister's remarks came after Mehbooba Mufti wrote to him and several political and social leaders across Jammu and Kashmir, urging the formation of a united political platform to engage with the central government on issues concerning the region. In her letter, Mufti proposed the immediate convening of an all-party meeting under Omar Abdullah's leadership to build consensus and coordinate efforts aimed at initiating a meaningful dialogue with New Delhi.

The PDP president reached out to a broad spectrum of political and social leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, MP Engineer Rashid, AAP President Mehraj Malik, PDF Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, J&K National Panthers Party President Harsh Dev Singh, Shiv Sena (J&K unit) President Manish Sahni, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti President Sanjay Tickoo, and Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Chairman Jaspal Singh, among others.

Calling for political unity, Mufti appealed to leaders to rise above partisan differences and collectively advocate for the resumption of meaningful dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir. She argued that a united voice was essential to effectively represent the aspirations, concerns, and grievances of the people at the national level. In the letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Mufti said time was running out and that continued delays could prove detrimental to the interests of the people.

Drawing parallels with Ladakh, she cited the engagements of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance with the Central Government as examples of how dialogue can yield positive outcomes. "The recent successes achieved by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance in their engagements with the Central Government offer a crucial lesson that meaningful results can be achieved only through dialogue," she wrote.

Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir stood at a critical juncture marked by growing public despair and disillusionment and argued that a broad-based political consensus was necessary to address the prevailing challenges.

"To steer Jammu and Kashmir out of the current impasse, it is imperative to forge a broad-based consensus by rising above party lines and political differences. If we wish to restore the dignity and security of our people, constructive engagement with the Government of India is absolutely essential," she stated. She further emphasised that Omar Abdullah, as the elected head of the Jammu and Kashmir government, was best positioned to lead such an initiative and urged him to convene an official all-party meeting without delay.