Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 27: People’s Democratic Party president and Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asserted that political process and governance in Jammu & Kashmir have to be carried simultaneously and asked workers to play their role in creating a congenial atmosphere for that.
Addressing the workers of her party here today, she said it has been the biggest success of her party to convince the stakeholders that political process and governance in Jammu & Kashmir have to be carried together. She said when the party was voted to power in 2002 it not only carried forward its development agenda but the political process in the State took off resulting in initiation of dialogue and many major State specific Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).
Mehbooba regretted that the State had to undergo a political drought after PDP demitted office in 2005 and the whole process had to be restarted from zero in 2015 when late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over again. She said this was the biggest reason for the party to form Government in the State so as to get the people of the State out of the uncertainty which this political drought had loomed large over them. In fact, she said, much of the reason for the recent turmoil in the Valley lies in the fact that political engagement was discontinued after 2005 and no more State specific CBMs took place afterwards.
The PDP president said when the party took over last year everything had to be started afresh. She said development and dialogue were made prominent components of Agenda of Alliance and the Government had just started to roll out its agenda.
She said, however, certain elements inimical to the peace and development in the State worked to derail the process. She said the whole process got stuck due to the turmoil of past five months during which not only the Government but every section of society in Kashmir got affected and bruised. She said though the delay in carrying forward development process would be compensated, the lives lost and the setback which the political process in the State got is irreparable.
Mehbooba asked the workers to make people aware about the nefarious designs of these vested elements, who are only interested in the death and destruction in the State. She asked people to help her in maintaining peace in the State so that besides development dialogue with all stakeholders, opening of routes, more relief to people and other State specific relief measures are undertaken.
PDP general secretaries, Mohammad Sartaj Madni and Nizamudin Bhat also addressed the gathering.
Ministers, legislators and senior party functionaries were present on the occasion.
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