NC looking towards Delhi for power: Mehbooba

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Sunday asserted that facilitating peaceful and dignified resolution of the problems of Jammu & Kashmir is his party’s main agenda and PDP’s relentless struggle to undo the political, economic, social and administrative injustices with the State would be taken to the logical conclusion with assertion.
Addressing a public meeting here, Sayeed said the peace process launched in 2003 prompted significant confidence building measures aimed at the amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue in a framework of regional cooperation. "While the confidence building initiatives were piloted by the leadership in Delhi and Islamabad, the peace process made significant progress initially as it was facilitated and led from the front by the then PDP-led Coalition Government in the State," he said and added that unfortunately after the change of guard in 2005, there was a visible lack of enthusiasm and political will in carrying forward the process leading to its painful slow-down.
Sayeed said the recent opening of cross-LoC routes for trade has given fresh momentum to the peace and confidence building, tragically, though at a heavy human cost. "We must now have a political set up in place in the State that would not only prevent the process from dithering again, but also supplement it with more imaginative initiatives, both at the bilateral and internal levels," he said and added that as all other political parties have almost washed their hands off the Kashmir resolution process, onus has solely fallen on PDP and its leadership to rejuvenate, pioneer and facilitate fresh and bold initiatives for the resolution of the problems of Jammu & Kashmir as envisioned in the party’s Self-Rule document.
"PDP has shown in the past that it can facilitate the resolution process with prudence, and it is ready, with fresh resolve, to shoulder the responsibility of taking the process to its logical conclusion," Sayeed said and added that it is now for the people to decide whether they want to give PDP another opportunity to carry forward its agenda of making Jammu & Kashmir a politically stable and economically prosperous place in the region, or have a regime that would once again promote political uncertainty and economic despondency to ensure its survival.
Sayeed said although PDP had made it clear, time and again, that the prevailing situation in the State is not conducive for polls, but as the National Conference has now forced elections on the people, PDP took it as a challenge and put the issue in the people’s court. "Let the masses decide now," he said and added that after having suffered the miseries of the most turbulent times of the State’s history, people of Jammu & Kashmir are now emancipated enough to see through the designs of their enemies.
Addressing the meeting, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said it would be one versus all for the PDP in the coming elections. She said various political parties, who do not want the resolution of the Kashmir issue, have ganged up against the PDP with the National Conference. "Toeing its traditional deceitful tactics, National Conference has already aligned with BJP-supported Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) in Leh while NC leaders have already arrived at a secret pact with BJP in Jammu region for the coming elections," she said and added that the people would not allow anybody to take them for a ride anymore.
Ms Mufti said NC is challenging the authority of the people by spreading the fallacies that the party has got Delhi’s blessings to form the new government in the State. "Instead of seeking people’s mandate, NC is looking towards Delhi to gift them the seat of power," she said and added it is now for the people of the State to decide whether the new Government in Jammu & Kashmir would be formed with Delhi’s blessings or through their vote.
PDP leaders Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Sartaj Madni, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Chowdhary Nizam-ud-din Khatana, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Farooq Indrabi, Mufti Mohammad Amin, Sehar Iqbal, Ghulam Nabi Kathsoo and Mohammad Imran also addressed the meeting.