As India Saturday participated in the commencement ceremony of intra-Afghan talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban in Doha, political parties in Kashmir asked why Delhi has shown no such "reconciliatory approach towards Kashmir" and why all the “bravado" was only for Kashmiris.
Commenting on India's role in intra-Afghan talks, former Minister and senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar wrote in a tweet: “No issues joining a meeting with Taliban but Mehbooba Mufti must be in jail and nothing but the gun must speak to teenaged Kashmiri youth.”
Akhtar argued that "all roads to peace in the region go through Kashmir."
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“At present, Delhi is sharing table with Taliban, which till yesterday it considered as a mother of all trouble. But in Kashmir, Delhi talks through only the barrel of a gun,” Akhtar said.
He added that post Article 370 revocation, the central government has "reduced Jammu and Kashmir to a municipality."
“If Delhi will downgrade Jammu and Kashmir further and carry on with demographic change policies, it still has to take the route of dialogue to resolve Kashmir issue,” he said.
While pitching for an internal and external dialogue, Akhtar said it was in New Delhi’s interest to see western flank open for trade and travel.
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Peoples Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone said that New Delhi's bravado is only for Kashmiris. “The might is only for Kashmiris. Wonder where the muscle flexing disappears when it comes to species like the Taliban or for that matter the PLA,” said Lone.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Saturday joined the Doha talks ceremony via video link. South Block had also sent a senior official to Doha to attend the meeting. Jaishankar told the gathering that the peace process must be “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled”, “respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan” and “promote human rights and democracy.”
Since the revocation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, the Centre has come up with a series of measures -- including new domicile law that makes acquiring domicile of J&K very flexible -- that have made the residents as well as the politicians apprehensive about the demographic changes.
The government has allowed the Army to notify any area in J&K as “strategic area” where they can carry out unhindered constructions and other related activities they deem needful through a special dispensation.
The government under new rules has downgraded the role of the Chief Minister and put him under Lt Governor -- the Chief Minister would not even have the power to transfer a constable of the Jammu & Kashmir Police.
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Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since 2018 when the BJP-PDP government collapsed. At the same time, several mainstream leaders and activists, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, continue to remain in detention.
