Former employee union leader Abdul QayoomWani on Saturday joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Welcoming Wani into the party, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, “QayoomWani is a man of integrity and he hails from a noble background.”
Mehbooba also said that Wani has “struggled a lot” to ensure justice to the employees.
The PDP president also announced that Wani, former head of Jammu and Kashmir Teachers’ Forum, Teachers’ Joint Action Committee and Employees’ Joint Action Committee, would be party’s candidate for the BaramullaLokSabha seat.
“And we have taken this decision after consulting all senior leaders of the party,” Mehbooba said.
Asked by a journalist about why she was advocating dialogue with Pakistan when the “latter has been targeting civilians in Jammu and Kashmir”, Mehbooba said, “I think, comparatively, there was more tension in the state when Vajpayee Ji visited Pakistan, held talks to ensure peace in the region.”
Asked why she was silent over the killing of a woman by militants in Shopian, the PDP president said, “It is entirely my discretion to decide when to speak and when not to.”
Meanwhile, addressing the media men after joining the PDP, QayoomWani said, “I’ve decided to join PDP because I was highly impressed by the politics of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.”
Wani said Sayeed wanted to see all three regions of the state together.
“And I see PDP president as an iron lady. I’ve seen how she handled the affairs of the state even during the toughest days. She didn’t say something in Delhi and other thing in Kashmir. I was largely impressed by her vision and I believe in bringing this state out of crisis,” Wani said.
He said, if elected, he would try to ensure that “no mother or sister lose their sons and brothers in Kashmir.”
Asked what was the solution to the Kashmir issue, Wani said a dialogue involving India, Pakistan and Hurriyat.