*PM very positive, Agenda will be implemented
Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Sept 24: In a major morale booster for Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, entire top leadership of the party including Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), legislators and senior office bearers today rallied behind her leadership as she asserted that present 78-day long unrest in the Kashmir valley was “well planned’’ with many forces united against the PDP in the Valley.
In her address to top brass of the party in Srinagar this afternoon, which was first meeting of the PDP after the exit of party Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Tariq Hamid Karra and his attack on PDP-BJP alliance, Mehbooba, according to party insiders, committed herself to PDP-BJP tie-up and implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ agreed upon by the two parties before forming the Government.
Referring to the PDP-BJP tie-up, Agenda of Alliance and requirements of the Government, the Chief Minister told the party leaders and she got only few months to deliver and within that timeframe, the things had started moving in right directions but then the unrest started.
“The unrest, which has now completed about 78 days, was well planned. It seems many forces had united against the PDP in the Valley to demoralize us and target the coalition Government and, in the process, the innocent youth, who have become worst victims of the unrest,’’ she said.
Describing New Delhi especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “very positive’’ towards Jammu and Kashmir Government and people of the State, the PDP president pointed out that Modi had gone to Pakistan and met Premier Nawaz Sharief to extend hand of friendship to the neighbouring country but then Pathankot happened.
“The PDP has always batted for peaceful ties with Pakistan bur you can’t expect one sides responses always. Pakistan had to reciprocate the gestures extended by Narendra Modi by visiting that country,’’ the insiders quoted Mehbooba as saying.
Asserting that she was very optimistic and looking ahead for positive response and cooperation from New Delhi, the Chief Minister said she would again go to New Delhi to negotiate on ‘Agenda of Alliance’ and fulfillment of promises made in it once peace and normalcy in restored in the Kashmir valley. She expressed confidence that New Delhi would not only help in implementation of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ but also other promises to help Jammu and Kashmir develop and progress further.
Mehbooba, according to PDP leaders present in the meeting, called upon her Ministers, legislators and senior party leaders to be accessible to the people and ensure their presence at the district headquarters, inter-act with the public, listen to their grievances and address them.
Referring to the resignation of former Finance Minister and Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Tariq Hamid Karra from the PDP as well as Lok Sabha, Mehbooba said all party leaders including Karra had never opposed the PDP’s alliance with the BJP.
“All the PDP legislators, who met me before entering into alliance with the BJP, had endorsed the present coalition,’’ she said.
A total of 14 speakers including PDP MP from Baramulla Muzaffar Beigh and legislators addressed the meeting.
Party leaders said all top PDP leaders including Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, office bearers and others present in the meeting threw their weight behind Mehbooba Mufti saying they were by her side and will endorse all decisions taken by her in larger interests of Jammu and Kashmir and the people of the State.
A PDP handout issued here said: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today called upon the party cadres to work for once again creating an amicable atmosphere within the state that would sustain the efforts at reviving and building the peace and reconciliation process started in 2003.
Mehbooba said peace and reconciliation has been the core agenda of her party and the hostile atmosphere around the State will one day have to wield a place to reason and reconciliation.
“The peace and reconciliation process which was started in 2003 had gained ground and shown results as the atmosphere within J&K was congenial for the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to take shape,” she said.
Expressing pain at the loss of precious human lives during the current unrest in Kashmir, she said PDP and her Government are not looking out for a temporary truce but would focus on building an environment where such turbulences never visit the people again.
Mehbooba said the positive impact that the Government under the leadership of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed made between 2002-2005, was the result of the combination of circumstances, important one being the readiness of Pakistan to enter into a dialogue process in response to the repeated peace overtures by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
She said the development process in Kashmir valley has unfortunately suffered a serious setback as a result of the disturbances and it has hit the sectors like tourism, transport, commerce and horticulture the most.
While it is satisfying that the Government has been able to ensure even in the face of difficulties and odds the supply of rations, power, water, gas, medicines and functioning of hospitals, education has received debilitating blow. She said the Government ensured participation of thousands of students in competitive examinations but unfortunately the schools and colleges were rendered dysfunctional because of the shutdown.
This, she said could result in a permanent and irreparable damage to our society, and it is for the parents and the society to address this serious crisis, sooner the better.
She said the business and the industry have suffered a loss of thousands of crores and numerous people have been rendered jobless.
Expressing confidence in the resilience of the people of Kashmir, Mehbooba said they have come out of many a crisis in the past and were trying to pick up the threads of life after the devastating floods of 2014 when the present turmoil cut short one of the best tourist seasons and revival of economic activities in the valley.
She said her Government will provide succor in the revival of economy but those who are out to damage the State’s interests and keep the pot boiling will have to change their mindset and methods so that the people do not suffer.
Speaking on the occasion, senior party leader and Member of Parliament Muzaffar Hussain Beigh said Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti is facing unprecedented challenges.
“We have full confidence in the abilities and leadership of Mehbooba Ji that she will lead the people out of this morass and quagmire. And I appeal every stakeholder to strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister so that a workable solution to our issues is realized,” he said.
Beigh said resolution of the Kashmir issue is a must to ensure sustainable peace and development in the State and the parties to the conflict have to realize this fact and work in a manner that will facilitate bonhomie and good neighbourly relations.
Several other party leaders also addressed the meeting.
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