PDP for ‘basic policy on Kashmir’ among Delhi’s political parties Will strive to bring all political formations together to develop a CMP on Kashmir resolution: Mufti Sayeed MUDDASIR ALI Srinagar, Mar 21: The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed Friday stressed on the need for a “basic Kashmir policy” among political parties at New Delhi for a forward movement on the Kashmir resolution. Unveiling his party’s Mission Document for the 2014- Parliament Election at a press conference here, Mufti said all political and economic initiatives on Kashmir have been led by the leadership from New Delhi at individual levels, be it Narasimha Rao’s “sky is the limit for autonomy” or Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s “Insaniyat kay dairay mai” (within the boundaries of humanity) or Manmohan Singh’s “making borders irrelevant.” Mufti, the former Chief Minister of J&K, said all these “well meaning initiatives” needed to be institutionalized for them to have an impact on ground. He said “unless these approaches get sanctified and authorized by the Parliament, there cannot be any headway on Kashmir resolution.” He said if voted to the Parliament in upcoming elections, the PDP would “strive to bring all political formations at New Delhi be it UPA, NDA or Third Front together to develop a Common Minimum Programme on Kashmir resolution.” “Our mission will be to reach out to all political formations and persuade them to formalize a basic Kashmir policy—a kind of a Common Minimum Program,” he said. Mufti was flanked by party’s candidates for the Lok Sabha polls including Mehbooba Mufti. The PDP patron said during the past 60 years, the Parliament has “never deliberated on J&K in a substantive and serious manner.” “Everything was left halfway. Every process started got derailed later,” said Mufti. ON PAKISTAN AND SEPARATISTS: Mufti asked New Delhi to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan and engage separatists for resolving Kashmir. “The new government (at New Delhi) will have to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan. There is no alternative. They will have to engage all shades of Hurriyat if they have to address internal dimension of the (Kashmir) problem,” he said. Mufti said the Hurriyat symbolizes a viewpoint. “Democracy is a battle of ideas. You can’t put somebody’s ideas in jail,” he said. He said Kashmir issue is there and it has to be resolved. “One part of its body is unwell, it is the head; and it has to be taken care of. If it is crown of India, if it is core of nationhood, it has to be taken care of,” Mufti said. ON VAJPAYEE’S GOVERNMENT: Mufti praised the tenure of BJP-led NDA government headed by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for its approach on Kashmir. “Vajpayee extended hands of friendship to Pakistan even after the Parliament attack. That was a great initiative by him (Vajpayee),” Mufti said. “It was NDA which started dialogue with Hurriyat to address the internal dimension (of Kashmir problem)…the UPA government took it forward and a major breakthrough was opened with the start of the cross LoC trade and bus service.” ON NC-CONG RULE: Mufti said it is unfortunate that ever since National Conference and Congress came to power in J&K “the situation has only deteriorated.” “The alienation has increased. There has been no year when incidents have not taken place be it 2010 or Shopian incident in 2009,” he said. ON AFZAL GURU: Mufti held the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led Government responsible for the hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru last year. “I am saying it categorically that the biggest betrayal this Government committed with people of Jammu and Kashmir was to approve the hanging of Afzal Guru,” Mufti said. He took a dig at the New Delhi for “acting in haste” to hang Guru. He said Guru was “falling far ahead at 28th number in the death row list.” “Despite the situation the UPA took the decision out of turn. Whom did they want to make happy?” he asked. ASHAIEE SHAHNAWAZ
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 05:44:23 +0000
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