Srinagar, Nov 16: Ruling out separation of Kashmir from India, National Conference Friday pledged to make reunification of two divided parts of J&K as its major poll plank for the 2014 Assembly elections.
Several top leaders of the party claimed that they will also work for the restoration of pre-1953 position, the life blood of NC, besides giving a befitting reply to its arch-rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Talking to Greater Kashmir on the sidelines of a function at NC headquarters here, senior NC leader and Member Parliament Shariefudin Shariq said it has been more than 60 years of division of the princely State of J&K. “It is now high time that both the divided parts should unite. As a senior party leader I will vociferously press for making the issue as a main highlight of the 2014 election manifesto,” he said.
He said the party has been fighting hard for the restoration of pre-1953 position. “We are well within the limits to seek restoration of autonomy. It doesn’t violate the Indian Constitution neither does it call for the separation of Kashmir from India,” he said. “I will be the first to push for the issue in the NC working committee meet.”
He said some opposition leaders especially Muzaffar Hussain Beigh have ‘started spewing venom against NC’, but, “We will give them a befitting reply in 2014 elections.”
Additional General Secretary of NC, Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal, too believes that reunification of two parts of Kashmir has to take place, “sooner the better.” “I as a worker of the party will put forth my views that let that part of Kashmir (Pakistan administered Kashmir) and this part merge as it was before 1947. We were a State,” he said.
Kamaal said the reunion of divided parts should be on trial basis. “It has been more than 60 years that people of other side haven’t met with the people of this side. Let there be a trial period first. I strongly believe that our manifesto for 2014 elections will have reunification of two Kashmirs at the top,” he said.
Joining the chorus, NC provincial secretary Sheikh Ghulam Ahmed Saloora also seconded the views. “Give us what we have lost. That includes princely State of J&K and Autonomy,” he said.
Some young faces within the party also echoed the same views. Bashir Ahmed Veeri, NC MLC from South Kashmir, said, “I am also for the reunification of PaK with this part.”
Senior leader of NC and MP from South Kashmir, Mehboob Beg, who recently visited PaK as part of SAARC meet, said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also believes that borders should be made irrelevant. “When world started moving ahead, Kashmir’s space started getting choked. We did not only lose connection with other part of Kashmir, but with the entire Central Asia,” he said. Beg said 1952 Delhi Agreement calls for a kind of arrangement for this part of Kashmir and the same should be worked out for PaK as well.
Pertinently, the NC document about Autonomy doesn’t have any mention of other part of Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had stated in 2008 that the party will work on Autonomy Plus. However, his father and Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah had categorically rejected the idea of adding the word Plus to Autonomy.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST