Kashmir Impulse Desk

Kulgam, April 9 

Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused the ruling National Conference of sidelining policies aimed at assisting the poor, while favouring measures that, she said, disproportionately benefit the affluent.

Addressing a party gathering in Kulgam, Mehbooba said the government had rejected proposals intended to regularise small parcels of state land occupied by low-income residents, even as it approved extensions for commercial leases in the hospitality sector. 

While she said her party did not oppose support for business, she argued that such measures should not come at the expense of marginalised communities.

Mehbooba also criticised the administration for declining to advance a plan to regularise daily wage workers, many of whom are employed across essential public departments.

She questioned the government’s performance despite its electoral mandate, suggesting it had failed to assert itself in key policy areas. 

In particular, Mehbooba pointed to decisions involving power projects, which she said reflected a pattern of surrendering authority to the central government.

Turning to economic policy, she called for renewed efforts to revive regional trade routes, including cross-border links that were opened during the tenure of her father, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. 

Expanding such routes, Mehbooba said, could stimulate trade and employment while contributing to long-term stability.

She reiterated her party’s position that dialogue with neighboring countries remains essential, urging engagement with both Pakistan and China as part of a broader strategy for regional peace.

Mehbooba also cited unmet promises by the current administration, including commitments related to electricity subsidies and employment regularisation, and said proposals concerning administrative reorganization in regions like Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley had not been pursued.

In remarks that extended beyond domestic politics, she commented on recent tensions in West Asia, expressing concern over the humanitarian toll and the broader economic implications of disruptions in key trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

Senior leaders of the People’s Democratic Party were present at the event, where Mehbooba framed her criticism as part of a broader challenge to what she described as uneven governance priorities in the region.