Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar: DD, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, terming it a much-needed step towards peace.
Mehbooba, said, “I thank God for the agreement between Israel and Hamas regarding the ceasefire. After two years, our Palestinian brothers and sisters will finally be able to live in peace. This is a lesson for all world leaders who think that bloodshed can solve problems. In the end, dialogue is the only way forward.”
At the same time, she strongly criticized the BJP’s recently introduced “anti-bulldozer bill” in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that it targets poor people who have been building homes for years instead of providing them regularization. She also condemned the government’s decision to revoke leases of local hoteliers, calling it “an attempt to snatch from locals and hand over to outsiders.”
“This is not Uttar Pradesh where a ‘Bulldozer Baba’ destroys homes and mosques. Here, we have an elected government,” she remarked.
Mehbooba said that since 2019, people of Jammu and Kashmir have been living under constant insecurity over land, jobs, and resources.
“Until statehood is restored, we must protect whatever we can — our land, our jobs, and our rights,” she asserted, urging the government to frame fair laws that safeguard the interests of locals.
Raising concern over the eviction of Asifa’s family from Samba forests, she asked, “What kind of justice is this when even the poor are being thrown out of their land?”
Appealing to the government and the Chief Justice of India for intervention, she stressed the need to ensure justice for the poor and those who have invested their lives and savings in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The PDP may be a small party, but wherever the people’s interests are involved, we are ready to extend our full support,” Mehbooba added. (KNC)
