KL Report
SRINAGAR
While addressing a public rally in the chief minister Omar Abdullah’s bastion Ganderbal today, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senior members dared the locals to join their party. Senior leader and former deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the doors of the party are open for everyone who has the good of the state at heart and who wants to contribute to peace and development.”
On the occasion the patron of the party Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has said that Jammu & Kashmir in view of its diversity requires an inclusive government that can connect and cater to the aspirations of all regions and communities living in it.
As per a statement Mufti has said, “While the PDP expects a decisive mandate in the next elections it would strive to run the state through consensus by involving other political stake holders as well. Party’s chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar, former Minister Qazi Mohammed Afzal, district president Bandipore Yasir Reshi, Vice President Ganderbal district Bashir Ahmad Mir, Sernior Leader Javaid Nizami and others were also present.
Mufti has said that the party’s agenda for resolution of Kashmir issue was under implementation when its tenure ended. But the unfinished business has to be completed and for that we will need every body’s active cooperation and support, he said and added a sense of participation in power of every section is essential for the success of any historic effort that we intend to make.
Mufti has said, “The confidence building measures between India and Pakistan after 2003 Vajpayee initiative and the change in the political atmosphere of sub continent had much to do with the free and fair exercise of vote in Jammu & Kashmir and Ganderbal had a special role in that.” He has said Ganderbal had sent in 2002 a powerful message of change across the state and even outside. He has said, “Spirit has to be revived if the mission of resolution has to be taken to its logical conclusion.”
The patron has said though he treats public endorsement and power through elections as an honour bestowed by the people but his actual ambition at this stage of life is to bring the state out of the morass of uncertainty and instability. He said that might have happened by now if the process had not been snapped in 2008 mainly because of the tactical rigging in some seats including Srinagar.
Mufti has said next elections, whenever they are held will be conducted on the comparative performance of political parties both in government and in opposition. He said solid issues will be there for people to vote for. While on the top will be the political resolution of Jammu & Kashmir, important economic issues like the power crisis will have to be debated and brought into public attention for its solution. For the PDP, he has said “Return of power projects and renegotiation of terms with the NHPC will be of crucial importance.”
Mufti has said unemployment is a huge challenge and we will need to have a clear policy on tackling it and providing remunerative and dignified jobs to our educated and skilled population. He has said the present government has utterly failed on this crucial front and instead of having resolved their problems it has targeted the youth as ‘enemies of the state’ and demonized them as stone pelters, drug addicts and criminals. He said youth are the real asset of a nation and if we fail in realizing their potential we can never hope to build a self reliant and self respecting nation. “No government is worth its salt if it fails the youth” he said.
In his address Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the NC has cheated all sections of the population, every area and every region of the state. He said, “Ganderbal was the worst victim of the NC’s political exploitation. The party cannot identify a single significant achievement in Ganderbal district ever since 1975 when Sheikh first secured the mandate of people from there.”
Baig has said, “NC was neck deep in corruption and in order to escape public scrutiny it is trying to paint its political opponents also with the same brush.” Questioning the source of income of the Abdullah family, Baig has said, “No member of its three generations had held a regular job or conducted a known business. How is it that the family is sitting on property worth crores in the state and outside?”
Baig has said Qazi Mohammed Afzal had with the support of the people of Ganderbal created history and buried the impression of invincibility of Sheikh Family. He has said this had set new rules for democracy in the state and given a new meaning to people’s power which he said could change the destiny of the state if it was used wisely. “The time of elected kings as NC leaders would consider themselves has passed and people know that politicians are public servants who attain office only with their vote”, he said.
