Pakistan aghast as PM Modi & J&K leaders have 'conducive' meet; asks 'where's Hurriyat?'

Left red-faced by New Delhi's kickstart to development and discourse with Jammu & Kashmir and NSA Ajit Doval's tough stance against terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Pakistan on Friday downplayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's key meeting with political parties from the valley. Terming the discussions 'unsuccessful and pointless' even as nearly all attendees of the meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg unanimously welcomed it, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the meeting called by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah was rather a 'public relations exercise'. 

Clearly ill-informed of the minutes of the meeting, Qureshi claimed that mainstream politicians of Jammu & Kashmir had demanded the restoration of Article 370 whereas several leaders while addressing the media soon after the meeting, affirmed that the matter was not deliberated upon as it remains sub-judice before the Supreme Court. In fact, the course of development and restoration of democracy in the now bifurcated state of Jammu & Kashmir was pressed upon and intricately discussed in the meeting. 

"In my view it was a drama and why was it a drama? Because at best it could be called a public relations exercise but nothing was achieved. Kashmiris are still in search of their identity. They are demanding their autonomous status and independence. They want security and are not accepting the demographic restructuring," Qureshi was quoted by Pakistan's Dawn. 

Pakistan's biggest grouse: It's stooge Hurriyat wasn't invited

Fearing the return of democracy and statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, terms that Pakistan is largely oblivious to, Qureshi claimed that the meeting was a 'facade and failed attempt resuscitate India's image in front of the international community'. Not to mention, the crackdown on terrorist activities & infiltration bids and fast-tracking of development in Jammu & Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370. Pointing loopholes, Imran Khan's foreign minister, who days ago admitted that Pakistan had indeed funded terrorism under previous governments, said that while 14 Kashmiri leaders were invited to meet PM Modi, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference did not receive a call.

Toeing Imran Khan's line of lies and rhetorics, Quresh stated that PM Modi in the meeting admitted that there were differences between New Delhi and J&K, when in fact, PM Modi spoke about bridging the gap between 'Dilli ki doori' and 'Dil ki doori' while promising the return of elections and statehood to Jammu & Kashmir as soon as the delimitation process was completed. 

"The leadership (J&K) demanded that the government compensate the losses incurred over the course of two years .... tourism in Kashmir took has been shattered. People did not only suffer monetary losses, but their mental health was also severely affected," Qureshi said in the press conference, as per Dawn. 

PM Modi's key J&K meeting with mainstream leaders

In the first meeting between mainstream J&K leaders and PM Modi after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, development, elections and statehood were mostly discussed, as per the account of multiple leaders that attended. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet after the meeting, said that the Centre is committed to ensuring the all-round development of J&K. He asserted that Indian democracy's biggest strength is the ability to sit across a table and exchange views. As per sources, the PM in the meeting, also said that he aims at removing 'Dilli ki Duri' along with 'Dil ki Duri'. 

"I told the leaders of J&K that it is the people, especially the youth who have to provide political leadership to J&K, and ensure their aspirations are duly fulfilled," PM Modi tweeted. Similarly, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the future of Jammu and Kashmir was discussed and the delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in the Parliament. 

Congress' veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad revealed that there were no restrictions in the meeting and representatives were allowed to bring up any issue and speak freely without any time constraint. Divulging details of the meeting to the media, Azad asserted that all parties univocally demanded a 'full-fledged restoration' of statehood. He also remarked that the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hold such a meeting earlier but was forced to delay it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Azad revealed that both, the Prime Minister and Home Minister, promised that elections will be held once the delimitation process is completed and statehood will be restored.