Srinagar, May 3: The President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday reiterated her call for various shades of opinion in the state to work in unison over the common areas of interest.
 “If all of us are demanding the revocation of AFSPA and thinning of troops or release of political prisoners it makes little sense not to join hands and add strength to the argument,” Mehbooba said while addressing card holders convention at Varmul, 55 kms from here. 
 She said that similarly, a consensus had emerged on the demands of reopening of cross LoC links and return of the water and power resources to the state. “We can hold on to our respective views on issues where we differ but it will help if we joined hands on common demands”, she added.
 Mehbooba said the revival of peace process between India and Pakistan could inspire confidence among the people of the state only if the measures initiated in 2003 were strengthened and carried forward. “The trans LoC trade and travel would have to be lifted from its present symbolic status to a real life facility,” she said.
 Mehbooba said the reopening of the Muzaffarabad and Rawlaakot links had generated genuine hope among the people who are suffering separation, siege and economic disempowerment for decades. “But subsequent inability to follow up these historic measures has once again resulted in disappointment as travel on these routes became even more difficult than seeking a visa and using the Wagah Attari connection.”
 She said more and more curbs and hassles were introduced in the procedure rather than easing them, which had made the facility almost redundant and emphasized that we need to build on such initiatives.
 Referring to the importance of LoC trade, Mehbooba said places like Varmul had suffered the most as a result of the closure of state’s traditional routes. “While the iron wall of security around us after partition hit the entire state hard, the border areas had taken the maximum brunt”, she said and added we need to rise up to the challenge and mount pressure on government of India through a peoples movement to free the state from the condition of siege.
 Addressing the convention senior leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussein Baig called upon the cadre to take the message of resolution to the grass roots so that the campaign takes the shape of a movement.
 He said the PDP had set a new and revolutionary agenda for the resolution of Kashmir problem and its judicious and amicable settlement was the main aim of the party.
 Explaining various aspects of Self Rule vision Baig told the audience it would open up the state to the larger world around it and ending the siege that we are facing after 1947. He said the Self Rule could transform the state into a highly viable economic entity of the subcontinent that would help release the creative energies of our youth who otherwise face a bleak future.
 The senior vice-president Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari in his address said that PDP-Congress regime had set “vibrant and progressive” standard of government in which all regions and sub-regions were equally involved.
 “Instead of pursuing the agenda of development and reconciliation, the present government has been indulged in discriminatory policies”, he alleged.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 3 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 3 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 4 May 2010 00:00:00 IST