Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 11: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said the interaction process between the Hurriyat leaders and Pakistani leadership initiated in New Delhi is a welcome revival of the process initiated by the NDA Government and should be carried forward in all its dimensions.
Addressing a workers convention of the party at Kangan today she said the release of senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani is no favour to him but only the restoration of his right to expression and movement which had been curbed for the last five years.
Welcoming the talks between Hurriyat leaders from the State and Sartaj Aziz, the foreign policy adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister, Mehbooba said involvement of the opinion leaders from Jammu & Kashmir in the dialogue process between our country and Pakistan is inevitable if a lasting and just resolution of the problem is to be achieved. She said all the stakeholders and schools of thought from J&K have to be taken on board.
Mehbooba said the criticism of the talks in New Delhi is misplaced as this process was started many years back and Hurriyat leaders have been meeting the top leadership of both the Governments of India and Pakistan. The Hurriyat leaders have traveled to Pakistan many times and held discussions with that country’s presidents and Prime Ministers and it is unfortunate that some party’s like BJP and the NC has smelled rat in it and are opposing such contacts.
Referring to the debate over the release of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mehbooba said his release has unnecessarily been made a topic of discussion. She said Geelani was denied even the opportunity to offer prayers or attend social functions for all these years and now when under the public pressure Government has allowed him free movement, it is being presented as a great act of generocity by the Omar Abdullah Government.
She said in education, this Government has failed to benefit from the flagship schemes like SSA and RAMSA. The schools and colleges are understaff and skill development claims have proved false on the other hand the examination system has collapsed and its credibility severely damaged.
Senior party leader Tariq Hameed Karra, Qazi Afzal, Nayeem Akhtar and Yasir Reshi also spoke on the occasion.
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