PDP asks Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu to retract statement; says 'Jammu and Kashmir is a political issue'

SRINAGAR: Ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) today asked party leader and state's Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu to immediately retract his statement that Jammu and Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem, saying the state was a political issue and its resolution formed the party's core agenda.

"The party takes serious note of the statement made reportedly by Haseeb A Drabu in a function at New Delhi regarding nature of problems in J-K and has asked the minister to retract the statement immediately if it has been reported correctly in the media," PDP vice-president Mohammad Sartaj Madni said here.

Madni also advised all the senior leaders of the party to be careful in their statements and observations while commenting on the basic political philosophy and core agenda of the party.

"The party recognises Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue and ever since its emergence, the party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue - both at internal and external levels," Madni said.

Recalling the vision of party founder and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Madni said the resolution of Kashmir formed the core of his struggle and sacrifices.

"It is unfortunate that the problem is seen by some forces in the sub-continent as a mere management assignment to contain peoples aspirations and the resolution commitment is being aimlessly undermined.

"PDP feels highly perturbed at the obvious lack of urgency in resolving this issue and reiterates its commitment to uphold party's stated objectives in which the resolution of the political issue has a paramount importance," he said.

Madni said after the fractured election mandate of 2014, the PDP entered into a governance alliance with the BJP based on the agreement and agenda which was an effort towards seeking a national reconciliation on J-K, besides catalysing reconciliation and confidence building within and across the Line of Control (LoC).

"The PDP is committed to push its agenda for peaceful and dignified resolution of the Kashmir problem which alone will lessen the tension in the region and release huge financial resources of the two countries for development of their economies," he said.