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| 'Omar's troop reduction statement a welcome departure' | | PDP transformed mainstream politics Mehbooba | |
Sopore, June 21- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Ms Mehbooba Mufti today said her party is credited with transforming the image of the mainstream politicians and institutions in the State through its consistent pro-people agenda. "Traditionally perceived as a part of the Kashmir problem, the State's mainstream politics underwent an image transformation after 2002 elections and are now being perceived as a part of the solution," she said.
Addressing a day-long PDP convention here today, Ms Mufti said for the first time since the eruption of militancy, the PDP-led Coalition Government carried the political and the development process together transforming the ground situation phenomenally. She said this new approach to the political and developmental concerns of the people had created a refreshing atmosphere in the State conducive for path-breaking initiatives towards ultimate amicable settlement of the Kashmir issue. "It was during this period that Kashmir had started radiating peace rather than violence across the borders," she said.
Urging India and Pakistan to breathe fresh air into the choking peace process through Kashmir-specific confidence building measures, Ms Mufti said if any concrete measures are not taken immediately the people would lose faith in the process. "I don't think any of the confidence building measures initiated so far has created any problems for the two countries," she said and stressed the need for making the CBMs more tangible and fruitful. She said there is an urgency of speeding up both inter and intra-state confidence building process through various bold measures to ensure long-lasting peace in the region through people's involvement.
PDP President has said her party's demand for reduction of troops and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is gradually gaining strength by attracting wide support from across the political divide in the State. She said the statement of National Conference President, Omar Abdullah supporting PDP's demand for reduction of troops and revocation of AFSPA is the vindication of the party's stand that such people-oriented measures are now unavoidable. "It is a welcome departure of the NC leader from his earlier ambiguous stand on the issue and I hope he will now stand by it," she said and added that PDP would welcome positive contribution of not only NC but all other political parties and groups towards resolving the Kashmir problem and ending the miseries of its people. "Instead of politicizing the tragedies of the people, NC must, with sincerity of purpose, play a more pro-active role in resolving the Kashmir issue, as it is the party's creation," she said.
"I am glad that PDP's demand for reduction of troops is now being echoed by Omar also, whose party, earlier, had labeled us "anti-national" for raising this demand," Mehbooba said and added that paradoxically Omar took a pro-troop reduction stance at the same venue (Handwara) where in November 2006, he had vehemently opposed the PDP's demand asking with sarcasm the politicians raising the issue to tread-out without security before calling for any troop-cut. "I wonder whom the NC leaders are trying to befool by shifting stands so frequently," she remarked and expressed the hope that on the crucial issue of troop-cut, NC leadership would now stick to its most recent stand in the interest of the people.
PDP leaders Mohammad Dillawar Mir, Basharat Bukhari, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain and Abdul Khaliq Bhat also addressed the convention
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