RJD, AJUP, TMC, PDP, and Hurriyat's Mirwaiz sign joint letter with Pakistani leaders seeking India-Pak dialogue post Operation Sindoor
NewsBharati 01-Jul-2026 12:20:50 PM
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On Wednesday, July 1, several people from India and Pakistan, including National Conference chief Dr Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, etc demanded 'normalcy and dialogue' between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor. More than a hundred from both sides stated that 'hostility was depriving millions of young people on both sides of opportunities, prosperity, and a secure future.'
_202607011227273045_H@@IGHT_700_W@@IDTH_586.jpg "Operation Sindoor")
The said military action aimed at neutralising the operational capabilities of terrorist groups responsible for repeated incursions into Indian territory. The strike was seen as inevitable, given the clear cross-border involvement in the Pahalgam attack. The official government communication confirmed links between the terrorists, who carried out the attack, and their handlers based in Pakistan.
Slamming the entire cast of 61 signatories who demanded dialogue between India and Pakistan and the end of Operation Sindoor, one of the X users, author, journalist Rahul Shivshankar said, "None of these people have any qualms about sharing space with separatists who don't recognise the Indian Constitution or giving Pak a breather. None have written a letter calling upon Pak to "end continued hostilities' against PoK Kashmiris, Indian innocents. None."
"Indian traitors of the year list. Save it for the purges," another user said, quoting the entire list of 61 signatories from India.
As reported earlier, Operation Sindoor, which was launched after the Pakistan-backed terrorist attack on Hindu tourists in April, targeted terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation, described by Indian officials as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, targeted nine identified terrorist infrastructure sites believed to be used for planning and directing attacks against India. These sites included Markaz Subhan Allah (Bahawalpur), Markaz Taiba (Muridke), Sarjal (Sialkot), Mehmoona Joya (Sialkot), Barnala (Bhimber), Abbas (Kotli), Gulpur (Kotli), Sawai Nala (Muzaffarabad), and Syedna Bilal (Muzaffarabad).
By naming it ‘Operation Sindoor’, the military action clearly paid tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam attack, framing the strike as both an act of justice and a symbolic gesture of retribution.
The sole purpose behind the operation that lasted from 7th May, 2025 to 10th May, 2025, as stated by the authorities, was to showcase a firm stand against terrorism, ensure immediate justice for the family members of the 26 dead, and dismantle terrorist infrastructure used to plan and direct attacks against India.
Despite this, several opposition leaders, including the Congress, PDP, TMC, and the left parties, condemned terrorism but raised questions about accountability, intelligence failures, and the government’s communication strategy.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chief, Mehbooba Mufti, expressed skepticism regarding the long-term benefits of Operation Sindoor, arguing that the military action failed to prevent further attacks and caused immense suffering for border residents. The PDP maintained that war is never a solution. Mufti urged those who advocate for military escalation to live in the border areas to realize the true costs of war.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in May 2026, stated in Srinagar that the military operation had "paid its dividends" and achieved its intended objectives. While he recognized the operation's military results, Abdullah consistently maintained that conflicts and wars "do not bring a solution, only misery." He argued that the global economic climate and energy disruptions make another war unsustainable.
Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in May 2025, demanded de-escalation of the war launched by India against the Pakistan-backed terrorists. Addressing the Jama Masjid, “… if the DGMOs of both sides can talk and reach an agreement, what is preventing India and Pakistan's leadership from doing so? But stating the obvious is considered anti-national in present times,” he said.
The opposition's push for de-escalation, from parties like the Congress, PDP, Hurriyat Conference, and National Conference, functions, whether intentionally or not, as cover for Pakistan-based terrorism against India. Invoking "peace" and de-escalation shifts focus away from accountability for cross-border terrorism and indirectly legitimizes the ideological framing used by jihadist groups to justify violence against those who do not share their faith.
An open letter from the 'Centre for Peace and Progress,' signed by 117 people, including 'prominent political figures' from both India and Pakistan, called for the restoration of full diplomatic ties between the two countries. Among its demands were the reinstatement of High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad and the resumption of normal visa services for citizens of both nations. The letter also put forward a range of suggestions, from immediate diplomatic steps to reviving structured dialogue, rebuilding people-to-people contact, and encouraging greater religious and cultural access.
On the Indian side, the letter carried 61 signatories, among them National Conference chief Dr Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and former TMC minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir.
"If the United States and Iran can return to the negotiating table after escalation, why can’t India and Pakistan? Dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving issues. That was the context of my remarks at Jama Masjid, and they should be understood accordingly," separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was quoted as saying.
Shameful statement by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq- If the United States and Iran can return to the negotiating table after escalation, why can’t India and Pakistan?
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) July 1, 2026
Few words for him ..... pic.twitter.com/AI0mdxkHMg
The comment has sparked massive outrage on social media, with netizens slamming the signatories for ignoring the merciless killings of Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam valley at the hands of The Resistance Front (TRF), associated with a Pakistan-based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India lost 26 tourists just for belonging to the Hindu religion, after which India launched a coordinated tri-service military operation, codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’, on May 7th, 2025. The operation lasted for around 4 days until the ceasefire was observed on May 10th, 2025.
The said military action aimed at neutralising the operational capabilities of terrorist groups responsible for repeated incursions into Indian territory. The strike was seen as inevitable, given the clear cross-border involvement in the Pahalgam attack. The official government communication confirmed links between the terrorists, who carried out the attack, and their handlers based in Pakistan.
Slamming the entire cast of 61 signatories who demanded dialogue between India and Pakistan and the end of Operation Sindoor, one of the X users, author, journalist Rahul Shivshankar said, "None of these people have any qualms about sharing space with separatists who don't recognise the Indian Constitution or giving Pak a breather. None have written a letter calling upon Pak to "end continued hostilities' against PoK Kashmiris, Indian innocents. None."
THE STAR CAST OF 61 INDIAN "CIVIL" SOCIETY THAT HAVE WRITTEN TO MODI-SHARIF DEMANDING AN END TO "OP SINDOOR".
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) July 1, 2026
None of these people have any qualms about sharing space with separatists who don't recognise the Indian Constitution or giving Pak a breather. None have written a… pic.twitter.com/t8QPYxzTfP
"Indian traitors of the year list. Save it for the purges," another user said, quoting the entire list of 61 signatories from India.
Indian traitors of the year list. Save it for the purges. pic.twitter.com/3A7KJrd36F
— PlaneCrazy (@IXGguy) July 1, 2026
"If they had lost a family member. Because of Pak backed Terrorism. They wouldn't be writing such letters. How insensitive and callous they are to the plight of fellow citizens," another user said.
Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist infrastructures
As reported earlier, Operation Sindoor, which was launched after the Pakistan-backed terrorist attack on Hindu tourists in April, targeted terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation, described by Indian officials as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, targeted nine identified terrorist infrastructure sites believed to be used for planning and directing attacks against India. These sites included Markaz Subhan Allah (Bahawalpur), Markaz Taiba (Muridke), Sarjal (Sialkot), Mehmoona Joya (Sialkot), Barnala (Bhimber), Abbas (Kotli), Gulpur (Kotli), Sawai Nala (Muzaffarabad), and Syedna Bilal (Muzaffarabad).
By naming it ‘Operation Sindoor’, the military action clearly paid tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam attack, framing the strike as both an act of justice and a symbolic gesture of retribution.
The sole purpose behind the operation that lasted from 7th May, 2025 to 10th May, 2025, as stated by the authorities, was to showcase a firm stand against terrorism, ensure immediate justice for the family members of the 26 dead, and dismantle terrorist infrastructure used to plan and direct attacks against India.
The significance of the Operation Sindoor also reflected a broader shift in India’s security doctrine, from strategic restraint toward proactive deterrence. It became the third firm response in line after the 2016 surgical strikes (launched after the Uri attack) and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes (launched after the Pulwama attack), signalling openly that terrorist attacks on Indian soil would invite a visible and forceful response. It was a direct reflection of the Indian policy of `no tolerance’ towards terrorist acts.
Opposition's political outrage at home during Operation Sindoor
Despite this, several opposition leaders, including the Congress, PDP, TMC, and the left parties, condemned terrorism but raised questions about accountability, intelligence failures, and the government’s communication strategy.
The Indian National Congress party argued that while the bravery and professionalism of the Indian military deserved national respect, the government led by PM Modi needed to explain how such a deadly attack on civilians occurred despite heightened security in Jammu and Kashmir. The party leaders also questioned whether the intelligence warnings had been ignored and whether adequate preventive measures were in place.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chief, Mehbooba Mufti, expressed skepticism regarding the long-term benefits of Operation Sindoor, arguing that the military action failed to prevent further attacks and caused immense suffering for border residents. The PDP maintained that war is never a solution. Mufti urged those who advocate for military escalation to live in the border areas to realize the true costs of war.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in May 2026, stated in Srinagar that the military operation had "paid its dividends" and achieved its intended objectives. While he recognized the operation's military results, Abdullah consistently maintained that conflicts and wars "do not bring a solution, only misery." He argued that the global economic climate and energy disruptions make another war unsustainable.
Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in May 2025, demanded de-escalation of the war launched by India against the Pakistan-backed terrorists. Addressing the Jama Masjid, “… if the DGMOs of both sides can talk and reach an agreement, what is preventing India and Pakistan's leadership from doing so? But stating the obvious is considered anti-national in present times,” he said.
The opposition's push for de-escalation, from parties like the Congress, PDP, Hurriyat Conference, and National Conference, functions, whether intentionally or not, as cover for Pakistan-based terrorism against India. Invoking "peace" and de-escalation shifts focus away from accountability for cross-border terrorism and indirectly legitimizes the ideological framing used by jihadist groups to justify violence against those who do not share their faith.
Siddhi Somani
Siddhi Somani is known for her satirical and factual hand in Economic, Social and Political writing. Having completed her post graduation in Journalism, she is currently engaged in completing her Masters in Politics. The author meanwhile is also exploring her hand in analytics and statistics.