The J&K police on Thursday (August 6, 2026) lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and workers, two days after the party took out multiple street protests over the abrogation of Article 370 in Srinagar. The PDP termed the FIR against the party leaders as “a blatant misuse of power and authority”.

The name of former J&K Chief Minister Mufti has been mentioned in the FIR for taking out a rally on August 4 and August 5 in the city, on the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, “without prior police permission”, a senior PDP leader said, on the condition of anonymity.

The FIR also mentioned the name of Ms. Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, who led a late-evening street protest in Lal Chowk on August 4 and was stopped by the police. The FIR against Ms. Iltija Mufti is lodged under Section 132 (assaults on a public servant), 121 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 191 (2) (political rallies and mob violence).

Officials said a police party visited the residence of Ms. Mufti in Khimber in Srinagar, pertaining to the case on Thursday (August 6, 2026) evening.

According to the FIR, the workers of the PDP, led by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti, started moving towards the main road (on August 4). “Police personnel requested them not to assemble on the main road, as such a gathering could disrupt the smooth movement of traffic. The request was not well received by the workers of the PDP. Instead, they turned aggressive and attacked the police party,” said the FIR.

It said the PDP workers criminally used force against the police party, “obstructed them in the discharge of their official duties, and also resorted to pushing and manhandling”. “As a result, several police officials sustained injuries,” it added.

Ms. Iltija Mufti said the FIR was “an attempt to intimidate the PDP to normalise abrogation of Article 370 like the National Conference (NC)”. “No rioting broke out at the site. We wanted to march to the city centre and peacefully organise a sit-in over abrogation of Article 370. A police officer Neha Jain dragged me and manhandled me in spite of being a woman herself. She goaded other police personnel to manhandle me,” Ms. Iltija.

She said the police permission was a pretext to clamp down. “It’s unfortunate IPS officers from outside are imposed on people of J&K. Mere displaying placards with Article 370 on it is being treated as sedition. There is no freedom of expression. I have been protesting since 2019, but have never come across such a police officer or policing,” said Ms. Iltija. 

She accused the police of erasing the CCTV footage from the shops nearby. “If the police have nothing to hide, why was CCTV footage erased from nearby shops? The police should make the entire CCTV footage public,” she added. 

Meanwhile, a PDP spokesman said the FIR by the police against Ms. Mufti and Ms, Iltija Mufti on Article 370 “was a blatant misuse of power and authority”.

“The woman police officer assaulted the PDP leader and used excessive force while preventing her peaceful protest. We have eyewitnesses to the incident and intend to place the matter before a court of law,” said the PDP.

The party said such actions by responsible police officers are “illegal, disproportionate, and wholly uncalled for”.

“We strongly condemn the conduct of the police personnel involved and demand appropriate action against those responsible for allegedly manhandling a political leader during a peaceful protest,” the PDP said.

Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday (July 25, 2026) congratulated the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) for its “success” and said it has managed to “reclaim Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of India”. 

“For more than a month, these youths were out without food. They adopted a Gandhian style. The biggest success is that these youths reclaimed Gandhi’s idea of India. They have rejected and dismissed divisive politics, especially Hindu-Muslim politics. It has given hope, otherwise amid a sense of dejection. It seems the future of India is in safe hands,” said Ms. Mufti.

She praised the CJP for allowing her to speak at the Jantar Mantar recently and backed its demands for compensation to the families of students who ended their lives and an apology for the atrocities allegedly committed on the youth by the Delhi police.

“We were warmly welcomed despite the narrative of Kashmiris being separatists and anti-nationals. It was heartening to see that this generation puts more focus on the future of the country than the Hindu-Muslim divide. I am hopeful what J&K students faced outside will also stop now,” said Ms. Mufti.

She said what started in Kashmir is now reaching every corner of India. “Peaceful protests silenced with lathis. Constitutional promises broken. Institutions weakened. Today, minority rights are under threat. Tomorrow, no citizen’s voice or vote will matter. The unity seen at Jantar Mantar is the real backbone of this nation. This isn’t just a struggle for one community; it is a fight to save humanity, democracy, and the soul of India,” said Ms. Mufti.

Ms. Mufti also raised the issue of Muslim women, saying these women were facing “harassment for wearing a burqa or hijab.“ You cannot praise Islamic heritage and culture on visits abroad while turning a blind eye to the harassment of Muslim women at home. True empowerment isn’t a slogan for foreign trips. It is guaranteeing safety, dignity, and religious freedom for every woman in India,” she added.

Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who returned to India from Iran on Sunday (July 5, 2026), has become the first Sunni leader from Kashmir to join such a high-profile event and therefore bears a new message from Iran.  

Highly sensitive about symbolism evident from the verses played during dignitaries of different countries, Iran’s move to pick Ms. Mufti from a range of Kashmir leaders, including separatist cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is seen as “an endorsement of Ms. Mufti’s Muslim-oriented politics”. Her attending supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s final rites is bound to change the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president’s status in politics now onwards.

The invite list was conspicuous because of the dropping of Kashmir’s first political family — the Abdullahs — in spite of National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his three Members of Parliament visiting the Iranian Embassy on March 10 and signing the condolence book.

During the four-month war between the United States and Iran, Ms. Mufti stood out from many other politicians in Kashmir. In a first, she made appeals for public donations for Iran and its people. On many occasions, Ms. Mufti has publicly prayed for “Iran to emerge victorious”, praised “bravery and steadfastness of the country” and called “Israel an evil”. Ms. Mufti also openly opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to visit Israel ahead of the Iran war in February this year, saying “it did not send a good message”. She also highlighted the bond of Kashmir with Iran in her speeches.

A senior political leader privy to the development said Ms. Mufti’s stand on Muslim issues, especially Iran, Palestine and Lebanon did change Iran’s approach towards her in the recent years, “especially after the Israel-Palestine war”. Her attire, where she mostly wears head-to-toe free flowing dress as per Islamic edict, too has been “registered positively” by Iran.

“The biggest message from Iran to India by inviting Ms. Mufti was to highlight that the country does not see things through a sectarian lens only and endorses like-minded leaders from other Islamic sects too,” the leader added.

Ms. Mufti filmed her visit to Husayniah Jamaran in Tehran, which is the historic home of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who is considered as the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the face behind the 1979 Iranian revolution. 

“Some places speak not through their walls but through the faith and sacrifice they witnessed. Visiting Husayniah Jamaran in Tehran was a deeply spiritual and humbling experience. It stands as a timeless reminder that unwavering faith in Allah, resilience and devotion to justice can awaken a nation and inspire generations,” said Ms. Mufti.

Ms. Mufti, who was seen crying while offering her prayers at the coffin of Khamenei, said she was departing from Tehran “with thoughts are with Iran’s brave leadership and resilient people”. 

“We will always stand with you. Deepest gratitude to the Iranian government for being such gracious and warm hosts. It’s been an honour to be here,” said Ms. Mufti.

Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) accused the J&K Police of “lodging a First Information Report (FIR) against mourners who attended the funeral of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) member and scholar Ghulam Hassan, who passed away on May 17 in south Kashmir’s Kulgam.  

“A highly respected Islamic scholar and former Jamaat-e-Islami chief, thousands attended his funeral. It is unfortunate that mourners have been slapped with FIRs merely for expressing grief and emotions. I request (J&K CHief Minister) Omar Abdullah and (Lieutenant Governor) Manoj Sinha to stop this witch hunt,” said Ms. Mufti. 

Her statement came hours after she visited the family of deceased Hassan in south Kashmir. She expressed solidarity with the bereaved family and prayed “that the departed soul attains the highest place in Jannat (heaven)”.

J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said if the lodging of an FIR against individuals who spoke at the condolence gathering held for noted Islamic scholar and former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami true, “it is deeply regrettable”. “I strongly believe that these actions are unjustified, send a disturbing message, and dishearten the people,” said Mr. Bukhari.

According to locals, the funeral of the Jamaat leader was peaceful. However, several elders made speeches to recall the contribution of the deceased and the banned JeI during the funeral held on May 18. Local sources said the funeral witnessed pro-Jamaat slogans.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the JeI in 2019 for being an “illegal association” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for a period of five years. The ban was extended this year in February, 2024 till 2029. 

Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (May 17, 2026) endorsed RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale’s recent remark that people-to-people contact is key to breaking the deadlock with Pakistan and there should always be a window for dialogue.

“The solution to Kashmir lies in dialogue and within the framework of the Constitution. Whatever we have to achieve needs to be done from Delhi and here (Jammu and Kashmir). We believe in engagement and talks. We seek peace with dignity,” Mr. Mehbooba said at a party workers’ convention in Srinagar.

The former J&K Chief Minister welcomed Mr. Hosabale’s statement on the need for dialogue and people-to-people contact with Pakistan, which was endorsed by former Army chief M.M. Naravane.

In an interview with PTI Videos recently, the RSS general secretary said Pakistan’s military and political leadership have lost India’s confidence, and it is time for civil society to lead the way, “because we have a cultural relation and we have been one nation”.

“What Hosabale has said now is what (PDP founder) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed advocated till his last breath. Open our roads leading to the other side of Kashmir… Pakistan, China and Central Asia. If (Narendra) Modi ji wants to carve a name for himself, he should resolve the Kashmir issue and involve Pakistan in the process,” Ms. Mufti said.

Noting that the Prime Minister should initiate a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir for a resolution to the Kashmir issue and involve Pakistan in the process, Ms. Mufti said, “I am not saying that Narendra Modi has done nothing for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. He visited Lahore in 2016, but it was followed by the Pathankot attack. Pakistan will have to respond positively to any efforts of outreach from India.”

Delhi will have to listen to the voice of Kashmiris, she added.

“Mufti Mohammad Sayeed used to say that even if we build roads of gold and bridges of silver, they will be of no use if the Kashmir issue is not resolved. Development is good, but talks can make you a statesman for peace in the region and South Asia. Peace in Kashmir can show the way forward,” the PDP chief said.

Calling for the release of political detainees ahead of Eid at the end of the month, Ms. Mufti said freeing prisoners would be the first real confidence-building measure that would send a strong message of reconciliation and healing to the people of Kashmir.

Former Army chief Gen. Naravane too supported Mr. Hosabale’s stand for fostering dialogue and people-to-people connections with Pakistan, saying such engagements are “important”.

“The common man has nothing to do with politics. When there is friendship between two persons, there will also be friendship between two nations. People-to-people contact is important,” Gen. Naravane told PTI on Wednesday (May 13, 2026).

Ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) engaged in a war of words over the Rajya Sabha elections and the closure of the seminary-cum-school in Kashmir.

“Those who aided the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls were exposed through Right To Information (RTI). No one in my party will act against the organisation,” said J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who inaugurated a multi-purpose sports complex at Government Degree College, Tangmarg, in north Kashmir.

In October 2025, J&K held three rounds of polling for four Rajya Sabha seats. According to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the third round had the highest invalid votes at three out of 87 cast. BJP’s Sat Sharma managed 32 votes, four more than their strength and the NC candidates, Shammi Oberoi bagged 31 votes and Imran Nabi Dar got 21 votes. In the third round, which was won by the BJP, NC lost seven votes, with four cross voting and three votes found invalid.

According to an RTI, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had three votes, had not appointed polling agents. The party had publicly offered support to the NC. However, the NC now casts aspersions on the voting pattern of the PDP.

The PDP accused the ruling NC of using the issue as diversionary tactics. “This is not fundamentally about the Rajya Sabha – it serves as a diversion from substantive concerns, notably the Siraj-ul-Aloom controversy and the erasure of Urdu from official records,” said PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra.

The PDP accused the NC of disintegrating the Peoples Agenda for the Gupkar Declaration, an amalgam of parties in J&K formed after the Centre ended the special status in 2019.

Mr. Parra said the PDP president showed magnanimity and decided “neither to abstain or impose conditions”.

“Rather than dwelling on the one lost Rajya Sabha seat and attributing blame to the PDP, the government would do well to focus on ensuring that your pre-existing 50 MLAs and five MPs deliver effective governance,” said Mr. Parra.

Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the NC of dragging the holy Quran into political rivalry. “I wish the NC leaders would have opened their mouths when the Waqf Bill was passed. They would have spoken up when Siraj-ul-Uloom School was closed,” said Ms. Mufti.

She accused the NC of remaining silent over the surveillance of mosque committees, maulvis, and imams, besides the alleged “destruction” of the Urdu language.

“People’s houses are being demolished in the name of drug peddlers. Before that, the houses of militant sympathisers were demolished. Employees are being fired from government jobs. They are watching a spectacle,” she added.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, and ruling National Conference (NC) MPs visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on Monday (March 10, 2026) to express condolences over the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.

The leaders also condemned the U.S.-Israel attacks on the country.

Ms. Mufti accompanied by party legislator and Shia cleric Aga Muntazir Mehdi met Iranian ambassador Dr. Mohammad Fathali. “India and Iran have shared decades of friendship. When India faced sanctions after its nuclear tests, Iran stood by us and continued supplying oil. It’s painful to see India now side with Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, against whom the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants over alleged war crimes in Gaza,” she said.

“We pray that Iran emerges as victorious in its fight against evil, as it stands alone. It seems all those whose names surfaced in the Epstein files are standing with Israel. Unfortunately, our country has changed its policy towards Iran,” said Ms. Mufti added.

The MPs of ruling the NC, including Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, also signed the condolence book on the “martyrdom of Khamenei”.

A NC spokesman said the party MPs “expressed deep anguish and profound sorrow over the tragic assassination of the revered leader and conveyed condolences on behalf of the people of J&K, party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to the government and people of Islamic Republic Of Iran”.

The spokesman said the NC MPs “strongly condemned the unilateral and barbaric attack carried out by the U.S. and Israel on a sovereign nation.

“Such actions are in clear violation of international law and pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the region,” the NC MPs said.