Srinagar, July 2: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz has called for the restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged regional parties and Congress to convey to the BJP-led central government that it cannot break the trust established when a Muslim-majority state joined a Hindu-majority nation.
Soz was among 117 signatories who wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, advocating for an end to hostilities between the two countries. He emphasized that conflicts can only be resolved through dialogue, not warfare.
Speaking to reporters, Soz stated, “I am among those who believe that war serves no purpose. Ultimately, dialogue is the only path forward. We have seen wars in European countries, but in the end, they also reached agreements.”
He further asserted that dialogue is impossible in a war-like atmosphere.
The Congress leader stressed that this is why he signed the letter with others. “Pakistan is our neighbor, and we should resume talks,” he added.
When asked about the demand for the revocation of Article 370 by the Jammu and Kashmir government, Soz remarked that Article 370 symbolizes our internal autonomy. He remains hopeful that the region’s largest political parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with Congress, will unite for a peaceful movement to restore this autonomy. He described the revocation of Article 370 as a mistake by the central government.
According to the senior Congress leader, the central government did not have the authority to revoke Article 370.
Soz emphasized that it is the responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the National Conference, the PDP, his party, and other political entities to collectively approach the central government and explain that the Muslim-majority region chose to merge with a Hindu-majority country because India is a secular nation that believes in tolerance.
He further stated that it should be made clear that a Muslim-majority state accepted the merger based on trust, which the center has now broken. “If they think they can silence people by using military and paramilitary forces, that is ignorance and wrong,” he warned.
Urging the center to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy, Soz insisted that decisions should not be imposed upon the people.
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