Riyaz Ul Khaliq
KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
PDP president and the party’s Chief Minister-designate has sought some more time to decide about her taking over, informed sources said. The party’s heavyweights have given her absolute authority to take the final call in the marathon five hour meeting Sunday afternoon.
Informed sources said all the leaders made detailed speeches offering unflinching support to their president to take the call on the issue of succeeding her father. Nobody spoke against the Agenda of Alliance that the PDP founder and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed inked with the BJP leadership. They paid tributes to their leader’s vision for J&K and a peaceful sub-continent.
Ms Mufti who, according to insiders, spoke with emotion and strength indicated to her party that she will require some more time. “I have to see if I can deliver on the vision that my father has set and outlined,” one leader, talking anonymously, quoted her saying. She said her father’s legacy being strong pro-people is much dearer to her and will be followed in letter and spirit, regardless of the consequences.
PDP president indicated in clear terms that she will not bargain as the Agenda of Alliance has been inked after a protracted spell of hard negotiations. She said the alliance was not for an election. “It was his (her father’s) ideology to change the course of history and I am committed to it,” Ms Mufti was quoted saying. Her only issue, however, remains that if she can deliver as her father would have expected. It was for this very reason, she sought some more time. She said the party will deal with everything with dignity.
Ms Mufti praised India and Pakistan for moving ahead despite the Pathankote tragedy. “It was my father’s legacy to see the two countries coming closer because he believed J&K cannot prosper unless India and Pakistan becoming friendly neighbours,” Ms Mufti said.
Though nobody in the party attacked the Agenda of Alliance, some of them dropped hints suggesting how fast the mutual policies and shared vision is achieved.
Muzaffar Hussain Baig made an emotional speech, praising the departed leader and his vision. He said the party will follow his footsteps and will never compromise the dignity and the interests of the people that the party represents.
Interestingly, MP Tariq Hameed Karra who had come openly against the BJP did not make a speech either in support or in against the BJP-PDP alliance.
Generally the speeches were in support of continuation of the alliance, sources said. Interestingly, contents of the speeches delivered indicated a sort of cohesiveness as nobody talked about the rumoured discard within various informal groupings of the party.
Sunday’s five hour long meeting was the first exercise in the PDP in which the PDP president had an interaction with her party. Earlier, the grieving politician had met them at the Fateh and “First Friday” of her father.
Indications suggest that Ms Mufti will take some more time to make her mind for getting into the shoes of her father. No party leader dropped even a hint towards how much time it will take. However, sources indicated that some of the issues flagged with the Union government in the follow up to Mufti’s demise will be settled soon.
