Jammu: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday renewed her demand for reopening traditional cross-border trade and travel routes, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir has been “locked in a cage” since the abrogation of Article 370.
The former chief minister said the issue was not merely about the restoration of statehood but a larger political question that required dialogue and confidence-building measures.
“I’m not talking only about statehood — I’m talking about finding a lasting solution to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir,” she told reporters.
Responding to a question on statehood, Mehbooba said, “You have locked Jammu and Kashmir in a cage. I want it opened from all sides.”
Urging the Centre to revive historical links, she called for reopening traditional routes such as the Suchetgarh crossing in Jammu and the Kargil–Skardu road in Ladakh that once connected communities across the Line of Control.
“Reopen these routes — whether Suchetgarh in Jammu or Kargil–Skardu in Ladakh — and make Jammu and Kashmir the gateway to Central Asia so that it can breathe freely,” she said.
Mehbooba, who has repeatedly advocated for restoring cross-border trade and people-to-people contact, described it as essential for reconciliation and political outreach. These routes, she noted, were closed decades ago due to security and geopolitical concerns.
On the political front, the PDP chief asserted that her party remained the “real alternative” in Jammu and Kashmir. “With just three MLAs, we brought bills on land rights, fee regulation, and daily wagers. They fear what PDP can achieve with more seats,” she said.
Reacting to Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s remark that “terrorists come from one religion,” Mehbooba hit back, saying, “Ask Giriraj Singh who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Who killed Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi?”
