Srinagar, March 18, (Scoop News)- The senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former deputy Chief Minister, Muzzafar Hussain Baig has said the coming Lok Sabah elections would provide an opportunity to the people of Kashmir to send such representatives to the parliament, who would provide voice to the problems and concerns in the highest democratic forum of the country.
Addressing a one day convention of party workers from Handwara assembly constituency, Baig said a vote for PDP would be a vote for change as it is the only party that has ever been able to make a difference in the life of people. He said NC, which as a result of its conspiracies against the people of Kashmir, sell-outs and U-turns is reduced to a rump, is now a mere group of power seekers and they have shown their worst face in the parliament as they never raised their voice in support of the people, who voted for them.
Baig, who is PDP’s parliamentary candidate for Baramulla constituency, said the NC leader, Farooq Abdullah presented a one point formula to the Kashmir problem by recommending the bombing of Pakistan least realising it could never be done without the annihilation of Jammu & Kashmir and major parts of our own country.
Of late, Farooq and his chief minister son have launched a tirade against the people of Kashmir who have offered sacrifices over generations at the call of NC. “While Omar tarnished the image of entire Kashmiris by calling them stone-pelters, drug addicts, enemy agents and terrorist Farooq Abdullah, as the so-called ambassador of Kashmir, recently called all of us Maha Chors,” Baig said and added it is a different matter that people of the state know very well who the biggest thief is.
He said PDP is fighting elections for the Lok Sabah with all seriousness, which can be gauged from the fact that NC was forced to concede half of the state to its alliance partner even though it is never tired of claiming to be the sole representatives of the entire J&K.
He said at the end of its rule NC is now projecting alliance with the Congress as its only achievement, but PDP believes it is the people of the state who will decide about their future and will judge every party on the basis of their performance and credibility of the leadership. “NC after surrendering states authority, its resources and dignity has now surrendered even its own political space just to survive somehow or the other on the scenario of the state,” Baig said.
Baig said PDP considers people’s court as supreme and aims to involve them in the governance system so that a new chapter is written in the history of the state, which is based on truth and honesty. He said the disillusionment among the people particularly of youth with the system, is all because of the ruling government’s callousness and insensitivity towards the people’s issues. He said PDP with the help of people during its brief stint in the government brought about a new change in the political discourse and paved a way forward for the political resolution of J&K issue.
He said PDP has set new standards in the state politics whether it was in the govt or in opposition. He said the party brought the state out of repression and darkness in 2002. It scraped POTA, disbanded taskforce, disciplined Ikhwanis, freed all political prisoners and facilitated a new chapter in the Indo-Pak relations that culminated in a ceasefire at a time when the two armies were in full battle gear.
He said under the present regime the state has virtually returned to pre-2002 situation with the instruments of repression revived, youth victimized and new weapons like pellet guns and chilli grenades introduced.
The senior PDP leaders, Nizamu Din Bhat, MLA; Naeem Akhtar, Chief spokesperson; Abdul Haq Khan, MLA, Gh Mohiudin Sofi, ex-minister and local leaders , Gh Nabi Panditpori, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Irfan Panditpuri, Advocate Mohammad Amin Wani, Mohammad Shafi Dar, and others were also present on the occasion.