SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the longest-serving leaders in independent India and called for the revival of dialogue, stating that sustainable peace cannot emerge from wars and that dialogue remains the most reliable path to lasting solutions.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is today among the longest-serving leaders in independent India. When he assumed office, he spoke of regional cooperation and demonstrated an interest in improving relations with neighbouring countries. Those gestures generated hope across South Asia,” Mirwaiz said while addressing a friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Referring to nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, he said both countries carry a special responsibility for regional peace. “And as one of India’s longest-serving leaders, PM Modi can revive the spirit of engagement. Dialogue remains the most reliable path to lasting solutions,” he said.
Mirwaiz recalled engagements with leaders across political dispensations, including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
“While differences remained, those engagements reflected an important principle: dialogue itself has value. It reduces mistrust, humanises opposing perspectives and creates possibilities that otherwise remain closed,” he said.
“We hope that the spirit, engagement and dialogue that marked early years of Modi’s tenure as PM and efforts made under Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh are once again revived,” Mirwaiz said.
“Peace may be difficult. Dialogue may be slow. Diplomacy demands patience. Yet these remain the most reliable instruments for resolving issues and securing a better future,” he said, adding that J&K leadership follows these principles.
Drawing parallels with the recent US-Iran confrontation, he said the conflict shows that military force has limits. “Wars can alter circumstances and inflict immense suffering, but durable peace and lasting solutions ultimately require dialogue, negotiation and statesmanship.”
He said that despite months of confrontation, heavy expenditure and human suffering, adversaries eventually returned to the negotiating table. “It is not a sign of weakness on either side; it reflects the reality that disputes cannot be resolved through force alone."
Calling the lesson relevant for India and Pakistan, he said the region has immense potential but has long been affected by political tensions and mistrust. “Societies suffer not only economically, but also emotionally and psychologically”.