The Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday said that unlike National Conference which became a part of the NDA government “for a ministerial birth for Omar Abdullah”, the PDP “sacrificed the party by forging an alliance with the BJP to ensure resumption of talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders”. She said her party’s alliance with the BJP was “neither understood by the people of Kashmir nor by the BJP”.
“We didn’t become part of the NDA. We sacrificed our partyfor resumption of talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders,” Mehbooba said,addressing a party rally at Baramulla on Tuesday.
She said when the National Conference formed an alliancewith the BJP, they “handed over seven (power) projects to Delhi and broughtPOTA (prevention of terrorism Act) here. But our alliance with the BJP wasbased on party principles that tinkering with special status will not beaccepted, that AFSPA needs to be removed, that army should be evacuated fromcivilian areas and that power projects should be returned”.
She said the situation across Kashmir has “again worsened”.
“The arrested people (from Kashmir) directly land in Delhi now, while the social and religious organisations are being banned. A similar situation existed when the PDP was formed in 1999.
Even naming Pakistan that time was considered a big sin,” she said. “Even some leaders of political parties used to ask why talks should be held with the Hurriyat leaders. However, when the PDP was formed, it made it possible that talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders are started without any delay so that a conducive atmosphere prevails in the state”.
Mehbooba said it was her father, late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed,who “prevailed upon the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and motivatedhim to start dialogue with Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders”.
“It was during that conducive atmosphere that severalseparatist leaders talked with the then deputy prime minister, L K Advani,while several youths shunned the path of violence,” the PDP president said.
“It was Mufti Sayeed who brought Atal ji to Srinagar wherehe (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) announced a dialogue with Pakistan and otherleaders,” Mehbooba said. “It was because of Sayeed’s efforts that the Srinagar-Muzaffrabadand Rawlakote routes were opened, while new colleges and universities wereestablished”.
“Mufti Muhammad Sayeed created such an atmosphere wherepeople started to feel safe and secure and it generated a hope for a peacefulresolution of the Kashmir issue. However, it is unfortunate that with thechange of guard at the Centre, the thread of talks broke,” Mehbooba said.
She said the PDP sought an overwhelming mandate from thepeople of Jammu and Kashmir so that they can advocate for a peaceful resolutionof the Kashmir issue.
“The recent announcement of Pakistan Prime Minister aboutopening of Sharda Peeth is what Mufti Sayeed had been propagating along withopening of all routes connecting Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.This is what Mufti Sayeed has been propagating and this is what for he has beenseeking full mandate from the people of the state,” she said.
She said if the PDP will come to power, it will revoke banon Jamaat-e-Islami. “PDP believes that ideologies can never be caged, that iswhy it was the PDP which took to streets against the ban on JeI and JKLF”.
“We didn’t allow them to close the schools of JeI and itsorphanages. What will the Centre achieve by banning these organisations? We canban organisations but not a thought. Kashmir issue can’t be resolved by banningorganisations. Rather we need to provide space for dialogue,” Mehbooba said.
She said during her tenure, she managed to withdraw FIRsagainst 15000 youths and ensure a “unilateral ceasefire” for a month. But, shesaid, the militants “did not respond positively”.
Mehbooba said during her tenure, the union home ministerreiterated that New Delhi is ready for talks “but Hurriyat leaders did notrespond”.
“Even members of parliament knocked the doors of Hurriyatleaders but they received a cold atmosphere. We cannot blame Hurriyat leadersfor not responding to the dialogue. The fact is that for any dialogue toproceed, Pakistan should be taken on board. Otherwise, a dialogue without thePakistan’s involvement will be a futile exercise,” she said.
Meanwhile, PDP patron Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, whileaddressing the gathering, offered legal assistance to the banned organisationslike the Jamaat-e-Islami and JKLF. He said “we are ready to offer them legalassistance, whether in the high court or the Supreme Court, provided they trustus”.