Mehbooba urges Modi to grab Imran’s offer

Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on  Saturday addressed a public gathering calling for the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

Addressing a well-attended gathering on party’s 19th Foundation Day, Mehbooba made a fervent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond to Pakistan’s PM-in-waiting Imran Khan’s offer of “friendship” for sustainable dialogue process between the two countries at the earliest.

She said the call for dialogue issued by Imran in his victory speech is a vital opportunity for both the countries to resolve the pending issues amicably. Mehbooba urged Prime Minister Modi must respond to Imran’s call. She said this opportunity needs to be grabbed at the earliest so that the dream of a peaceful South Asia is realised.

Mehbooba also demanded that the special status accorded to the State by the Constitution of India needs to be protected at all costs and any tinkering with it would trigger more violence and alienate the youth.

She underscored the need to protect Article 370 and Article 35-A from any assault, stating that the mainstream parties in the State need to speak in unison to get J&K out of the vicious cycle of violence. In her speech, she was emotional while expressing grief over civilians’ killing during 2016 following protest against Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani’s encounter death.

She said as CM she did not compromise for anything during her two years tenure, and said she had been insisting on initiating dialogue with Pakistan and Hurriyat every time she met the PM.

Mehbooba also said that she conveyed the Centre to release Hurriyat leaders from NIA custody so that peace prevailed in Kashmir.

Demanding that the Indo-Pak trade needs to be further promoted and encouraged, the PDP president said in her speech that the time has come when both the countries should play a vital role in transforming Jammu & Kashmir into a bridge of friendship between the two countries and more confidence-building measures are taken for achieving the objective. She also demanded the opening of the silk route and people to people contact between the fragmented parts of the State.

The PDP president recalled how the PDP Government fought for justice to the victim of Rasana case and booked the culprits as per the law of the land. She said those who committed the crime of such heinous nature need to be given exemplary punishment so that no one in future dares to commit such a devilish act.

A party spokesman said besides thousands of people, party workers and activists all the legislators, senior leaders, district presidents and zonal presidents attended the rally.