Historic role for current legislature in resolving Kashmir: Mufti

Jammu, February 05 – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called for addressing the Kashmir issue with a fresh approach. "We have to set up a new discourse for Kashmir resolution in the changed scenario," he said.

"A fresh approach is needed to address both the internal and external dimensions of the Kashmir issue with the current legislature playing a pro-active role in the resolution process," Sayeed said at a function held at the PDP headquarters here this morning. The function was organized in connection with the joining of some prominent political figures from the Jammu region in PDP.

Sayeed said backed by a substantial public mandate, the present legislature with distinctive composition and genuine legitimacy shall have to pilot the Kashmir resolution process with moral authority. "The present legislature will have a historic role to play in facilitating amicable and permanent settlement of the Kashmir issue to end the protracted instability in the State and the region," he said and added that the fast-changing equations in the region have necessitated the urgency of settling the Kashmir issue involving all the concerned parties in the resolution process with the State’s elected representatives playing a fundamental role.

PDP Patron said the present assembly is the most representative of all shades of opinion as it represents regions, communities and sub-regions. "All the members of the new assembly have a genuine mandate except perhaps those coming from areas where unfortunately people chose not to vote in good numbers," he said and added that the voice of this House cannot be ignored as it is having not just the legal and constitutional validity but moral authority as well to speak on behalf of the State and its people.

"While India and Pakistan will have to address the bilateral dimensions of the problem, the Government of India shall have to move fast on addressing the internal dimensions of the issue by reaching out to the people of Jammu & Kashmir with reconciliatory confidence building measures," Sayeed said. He said implementation of the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Working Groups including the one on Center-State relations would set the process of addressing the internal political and economic dimensions of the problem in motion.

Crediting his party for creating a new space within the democratic system for the resolution of the Kashmir problem, Sayeed said the PDP’s J&K-specific regional agenda and its Self-Rule formula have got the public approval during the recent elections and the party would move ahead with fresh resolve to seek an end to the political and economic miseries of the State and its people. "PDP’s political agenda has emerged as the most credible and pragmatic solution to the State’s problems," he said and added that the Kashmir issue cannot be put on the backburner and the voice of the State’s people can provide the most valuable input to the efforts at bringing permanent peace and stability to South Asia.