Srinagar, September 26 (Vijay Kumar) – PDP President and Leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that while the Self Rule proposal has attracted national and international attention and intellectuals, cutting across the ideological differences, have realized that Self Rule proposal is the only solution of Kashmir issue,
Peoples Democratic Party has decided to take the proposal to the masses through mass awareness camping, seminars and debates to be organized by the party in coming months.
In a statement, issued here today,PDP President Mehbooba said that a mass awareness campaign about the self rule proposal will be launched across the state of Jammu and Kashmir so that the masses can be educated about various aspects of the proposal.Mehbooba said that she would personally conduct extensive tour of the state during which membership cards would be distributed among the general masses so as to strengthen the party at the gross root level. Interaction programmes, seminars, debates will also be organized in various parts of the state to educate people about the self rule formula of the party, she added.
Resolution of Kashmir dispute, she said, lies in the unification of both parts of the state divided by the LoC, which would be possible only when there would be no borders between people of two parts of Kashmir. “While the formula suggests making the borders irrelevant at the same time it also exhorts upon India and Pakistan to set up of joint council”, she said.
Self-Rule was aimed at economic integration of both parts of the divided state by converting the LoC into line of trade and peace, she said adding, “The proposal is aimed at creating the state as a bridge between India and Pakistan and both the countries should offer tariff reductions and develop this belt as regional free-trade area. Development of this area as free-trade zone would attract maximum foreign direct investment,” he said.
“National Conference leadership has been raising Regional Autonomy slogan but the fact is that the proposal remains a mystery not only for the people of the state but even for the Government of India and National Conference leadership itself”, she said.
She said that the non-serious approach of the NC leadership has created chaos as a result of which people of the state have not been able to understand even the basics of the Autonomy slogan during the last 60 years. “Contrary to this Self Rule proposal of PDP was introduced among the general masses recently and people have not only appreciated it but it is now been welcomed widely which is evident from the increase in the voting percentage of the party in recent held assembly elections”, she added.