No govt formation till BJP helps realise Mufi's vision: PDP

“Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took a courageous, although unpopular, decision of aligning with BJP with the hope that the Central Government headed by Mr Narendra Modi will take decisive measures to address the core political and economic issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and its people,” PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said while addressing a meeting of the party leaders, legislators and office-bearers convened here in Srinagar.

 Mehbooba said unfortunately, instead of partnering with and implementing Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s vision of bringing peace, stability and prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir, certain quarters, both within J&K and in New Delhi, started overtly and covertly triggering frequent controversies over avoidable contentious issues resulting in wastage of the State Government’s energies in firefighting and propitiation.

“In such volatile circumstances around, we will have to reassess whether we can absorb the shocks which late Mufti had to do so frequently in his effort to forge reconciliation between the regions and the people of the State,” she said and added PDP can’t form a government just for the sake of power but, if it does, it will be, as envisioned by Mufti Syeed, with the objective of addressing the core political and economic issues confronting J&K as was done by the PDP-led Government between 2002 and 2005.

Government of India shall have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP “Agenda of Alliance” in the interest of peace and stability in J&K and for this PDP needs a set time frame to be worked out. Mehbooba added.

 “The PDP will have to reassess whether the Central Government is ready to trust the people of Jammu and Kashmir and carry out implementation of ‘Agenda of Alliance’ with sincerity of purpose,” she said and added it has been made clear in the very preamble of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’.

“ 'Agenda of Alliance' it is aimed at sequencing the political process and the economic development and striking the right balance between the two to create a virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity that will accord normal life to the coming generations, “especially those regions who have lived in perpetual strife and conflict.” Mehbooba said.

“PDP is expecting tangible measures from the present Government at the Centre to carry forward and take to the logical conclusion, the reconciliation process which was initiated and worked effectively between 2002 and 2005,” she said and added that all these measures have already been enumerated in detail in the Agenda of Alliance and the only thing needed is its implementation with sincerity of purpose.

Jammu and Kashmir was placed under the Governor's rule on Jan 8 after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away on Jan 7 in New Delhi after a brief illness, and Mehbooba Mufti did not step forward to stake claim to form the government.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)