The debate over Pir Panjal identity has taken a new turn after senior Congress leader Naeem Ejaz Mir issued a balanced yet hard-hitting statement on the political controversy surrounding regional representation in Rajouri and Poonch.
POONCH MIRROR NEWS DESK FEBRUARY 4, 2026
Senior Congress Leader Naeem Ajaz Mir delivers a forthright, balanced and fact-based response to the controversy triggered by Sunil Sharma’s remarks.
Senior Congress leader Naeem Ajaz Mir on Tuesday issued a detailed and candid statement on the ongoing political controversy surrounding the name and identity of Pir Panjal, calling for intellectual honesty, historical clarity and an end to what he described as selective outrage and hollow regional sloganeering.
At the outset, Mir made it clear that truth must never be sacrificed at the altar of political convenience.
Let me state this without ambiguity,” Mir said. “Sunil Sharma is factually correct when he says that Pir Panjal is not an official administrative or constitutional unit. It is neither a separate province nor a legally notified division under the present administrative framework of Jammu and Kashmir. To deny this reality would be dishonest and counterproductive
However, Mir cautioned that acknowledging one factual point does not justify drawing sweeping, misleading political conclusions from it
Mir emphasized that while Pir Panjal is not an administrative unit, its geographical and historical existence is beyond dispute
The Pir Panjal Range is one of the most ancient and well-documented mountain systems of the subcontinent. It has existed in history, geography, climate, trade routes and cultural memory for centuries. Recognising Pir Panjal as a geographical and socio-cultural region is neither anti-national nor conspiratorial it is academically and historically sound
He warned against confusing geographical identity with administrative status, calling it a serious intellectual error
A river is not a state, a mountain range is not a province but denying their identity simply because they are not administrative units reflects poor understanding of history and geography
In a rare moment of blunt self-criticism within regional politics, Naeem Ajaz Mir turned the spotlight inward towards the politics being played within Rajouri and Poonch themselves
What weakens the Pir Panjal narrative is not criticism from outside, but hypocrisy from within,” he said
Mir noted that while politicians loudly invoke Pir Panjal in speeches and protests, their actions tell a very different story.
Rajouri-based politicians do not genuinely support institutions being established in Poonch
Poonch-based politicians resist the same institutions if they are proposed in Rajouri.
There is no unified stand even on crucial issues like the location of a National Law University or other regional institutions.
If Pir Panjal were truly treated as a shared regional identity, then Rajouri’s gain would be celebrated in Poonch, and Poonch’s progress would be defended in Rajouri. Unfortunately, that is not the reality
Mir observed that the language of collective deprivation has been replaced by district-centric rivalry.
Today, Pir Panjal is remembered only when it suits local political arithmetic. The moment real sacrifice, compromise or mutual support is required, the so-called unity evaporates
He warned that such behaviour hands ammunition to those who dismiss all regional concerns as mere political drama.
When leaders fail to stand for each other, they make it easy for others to brand genuine regional issues as theatrics.
Mir categorically rejected the idea that the controversy is about a name.
The issue is not whether we say Pir Panjal or not. The issue is whether we mean it. A name without solidarity is just a slogan. A region without shared struggle is just a map reference.
He stressed that regional identity must be built on cooperation, not competition.
Concluding his statement, Naeem Ajaz Mir delivered a sharp but constructive message:
Yes, Pir Panjal is not an official administrative unit that is a fact.Yes, Pir Panjal is an ancient geographical and cultural region that is also a fact.But turning Pir Panjal into a political drumbeat while opposing each other behind the scenes is nothing but public deception.He called upon political leaders of Rajouri and Poonch to choose sincerity over symbolism.Either build Pir Panjal as a genuinely united regional voice, or stop using its name as a convenient political banner. The people deserve development, institutions and dignity not rhetorical performances.
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