Killing has been policy of Pak: Azad

‘Those who fled DAP have no constituencies’

Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, Jan 6: Former Chief Minister and head of Democratic Azad Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today said that killing of the people has been a policy of Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at a function in Srinagar, Azad when asked about the recent killings in Rajouri said that killing of people has been the policy of Pakistan.
“The militants have always attempted (killing), even 25 years back they have massacred Sikhs, Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley. I am not saying only Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits were killed but Muslims were also killed in thousands here on one pretext or the other. After that they started killing Pandit employees and it has been the policy of Pakistan”, he said.
The former Chief Minister said that the biggest sufferers of the killing of non-Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir are the Muslims of this place. “It is very sad as Kashmiri Muslims are at loss (with the Pakistan policy). The killers don’t know that by killing non-Muslims here, the Muslims of this place are the worst sufferers. Our lakhs of boys and girls are presently studying in different States of India. They get impacted. I think Kashmiri people don’t understand this. I lived in Delhi and I was getting such reports from Bangalore and the other places. We should understand this if one Hindu is being killed here, we are creating problems for the lakhs of boys and girls studying outside,” he said.
On the joining of Tara Chand and Peerzada Sayeed to Congress along with over a dozen leaders, Azad said this won’t have any impact on his party.
“It is no set back as all the three have no constituencies. I wish them well. I won’t say anything against them as they have been my old associates. I am very sorry for these three leaders as after the delimitation, their constituencies are gone due to reservation. I had given them the posts as they were my old colleagues. They can’t contest elections but at least, they will have some respect. They could not digest it. And where they went, they (Congress) don’t know they have only posts but no constituencies,” he said.
On Bharat Jodo Yatra impact in Kashmir, Azad said they (Congress leaders) better know what will be its impact on elections.
Earlier, a prominent Congress leader Dr Asif Khanday along with hundreds of workers today joined the DPAP.
Azad said that joining of Khanday will infuse the new blood in the party and would galvanise its cadre. “Together we shall take this march of development forward,” he said.
Azad said that if his party is elected to power after elections, the remaining developmental projects of Ramban district will be completed in triple shifts. “When I was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, I ensured this Ramban district particularly Banihal get all the required developmental projects. We speeded up the works of execution after sanctioning hospitals, schools, roads, colleges and other infrastructural projects. I assure you once we are back in power after elections this district will become the centre of economic activities,” he said.
He said his party is aiming to promote the youth on Jammu Kashmir’s political landscape and with the joining of influential and educated youth, DPAP is becoming the major political force of the UT.
Azad said DPAP is the party of youth and encourages fresh blood into its fold since youth is the future of the country.