3 min readJun 30, 2026 04:06 PM IST
Saying that the resolution of issues between India and Pakistan lies in friendship, separatist leader and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called for dialogue between the two countries.
“Today, as we speak about global peace, I am pleased that efforts are underway to revive dialogue between the United States and Iran. Once again, talks between the two countries are expected to take place this week. We have always supported such efforts,” Mirwaiz said while talking to reporters after inaugurating a business venture in Srinagar. “If the United States and Iran can come to the table, India and Pakistan can too.”
“I appealed to the leadership of India to embrace the path of dialogue, because wars do not resolve disputes. It is through dialogue that issues are addressed and resolved,” he said. “I believe the resolution of issues lies in India-Pakistan friendship.”
This, he said, also “offers the best path toward resolving longstanding issues, including the Kashmir conflict”. “We hope that the leadership of India, Pakistan, and Kashmir will support such efforts so that peace is strengthened and issues are resolved through peaceful means,” he said.
“People should understand the context in which I made these remarks. I believe that today, our region holds immense potential. The Indian subcontinent possesses tremendous economic opportunities and abundant human resources,” he said. “The entire region can move forward and prosper if only the leadership of the subcontinent demonstrates political vision and works towards improving mutual relations.”
Mirwaiz also emphasised the need for unity among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, terming it essential to “safeguard the identity and interests” of the people. “All members of the Muttahida Majlis e Ulema council (MMU, a conglomerate of all religious groups in the Valley) are one on the important need of strengthening unity among all the sects and also between the sects,” he said. “If at any time some inter- or intra-sect misunderstanding develops, it should be resolved in good faith through talks, keeping the wider good of unity among Muslims in mind.”