‘BJP undermining Vajpayee’s peace initiative’
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has reiterated his party’s resolve to work for a new future for Jammu & Kashmir that is free of violence and discord. “PDP went to the people with the agenda of peace with dignity at a difficult time and obtained the mandate to act upon and pursue its commitment with resolute conviction,” he said.
Addressing a huge gathering of the PDP workers from Kokernag, at his residence here this morning, Sayeed said the poll verdict of 2002 was a testimony of the people’s will and determination which guarantees the durability an eventual success of the party’s agenda. “The past five years have witnessed changes of great significance and importance on both the political and the economic fronts in Jammu & Kashmir,” he said and added that the party is focused on bringing complete peace and normalcy to the State through peaceful and amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue.
PDP, Sayeed said would continue to work towards achieving the objective of sustainable and workable peace in the State and the region, as the popular belief in the envisioned objectives of the peace process has grown manifold during these years. “The constituency of peace has not only become larger but is gaining strength day by day,” he said and added that the democratic institutions must now be allowed to flourish and assert fully by entrusting greater responsibility to the instruments of the State administration in the matters of governance and security.
Maintaining that the initiatives taken at various levels, during the past five years, have laid a sound foundation of mutual trust and confidence to build upon, Sayeed emphasized that much more needs to be done to positively impact the changing ground scenario. “Only substantive political and economic measures, on the internal and bilateral fronts, would consolidate the situation to extent that holds a promise of peace and prosperity in Jammu & Kashmir and cooperative relationship in the region,” he said.
Expressing dismay over the latest statement of the BJP President Rajnath Singh wherein he has censured the confidence building measures in the State and sought scrapping of Article 370, the PDP Patron said by such inattentive pronouncements the BJP leader was undermining the very reconciliation process pioneered by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and carried forward by Dr Manmohan Singh. “By such hasty statements the BJP leadership is doing no good either to the State or to the country,” he said and added that instead of playing politics with the peace process, the BJP leaders must fully support the UPA Government’s Kashmir initiatives as was done by the Congress when the NDA government initiated the process.
Sayeed made it clear that PDP would continue to initiate and facilitate all reasonable measures, consistent with its pro-people agenda and policies, to ensure that its vision of a peaceful, dignified and prosperous Jammu & Kashmir gets translated into reality, with people in all the regions of the State sharing its political and economic benefits.
Sayeed asked the party cadres to consolidate on the goodwill, the PDP has generated among the masses because of its pro-people policies. He said the party has a crucial and momentous role to play in shaping up a peaceful and prosperous Jammu & Kashmir. “Every one of you will have a critical role to play in the challenge that is going to unfold on the State’s political scene in near future,” he told the party cadres. He assured the PDP cadres that their views would be considered and respected while deciding the candidates for the upcoming elections.
PDP leaders Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Mohammad Sartaj Madni and Nizam-ud-Din Khatana were present on the occasion.