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| 2002 polls transformed JK's political scenario: Mehbooba | | 'Mainstream parties now a part of Kashmir solution' | |
Baramulla, August 27 – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti has said the October 2002 elections laid a strong foundation for the positive transformation of the State's political scenario when PDP took the initiative of representing and voicing the just concerns and aspirations of the people, both in and outside the Government. "For the first time, during the past 60 years, the mainstream politicians and institutions underwent an image transformation and they are now perceived as a part of the Kashmir resolution process and not the ingredients of the problem," she said.
Addressing a day-long convention of the party workers at Nowpora in Sangrama constituency today, the PDP President said the biggest political achievement of her party is that while it pursued its pro-people agenda with undaunted consistency, despite various odds, its detractors started shifting their stand frequently which ultimately went to their discredit and growing irrelevance. "Unlike the traditional political rhetoric, that keeps on turning-around in and outside the power, PDP channelized the political aspirations and the just concerns of the State and its people more vociferously while in Government," she said and added that by doing so the party made an effort to justify the mandate and the trust reposed by the people in it.
Mehbooba said as there was no tradition with the political parties to raise the issues touching the skin and livelihood of the people once in the Government, so voices of surprise and sometimes even criticism are being raised by various quarters when PDP dares to talk about the people's concerns. "I want to make it very much clear that politicians are not bureaucrats who will run the system on their own sweet will within the four-walls of the secretariat," she said and added that in a democratic set-up the politician has to justify his representation by molding and running the system keeping in view the larger public interest. "That is what PDP has done, is doing and will continue to do, as, for the party its people and their interests are supreme to any political interests," she said.
She pointed out that while heading the Coalition Government for a brief period between 2002 and 2005, PDP, in tune with its people-oriented agenda, not only ensured general relief to the people on the security front, but also worked round-the-clock to implement its economic and developmental agenda facilitating phenomenal transformation of the situation. "The alienation levels of the masses had perceptibly gone down during this period and people once again started reposing their faith in the democratic institutions and processes," she said and added that while the general public is acknowledging the political and economic transformation that took place during that period, much more still needs to be done to ensure comprehensive and everlasting peace, dignity and prosperity of the State and its people.
Addressing the convention Senior Vice-President of the party, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari said PDP has emerged as the only force in the State with a strong pro-people political, economic and social agenda. He said the party leadership has set new standards of ethical politics in the State, keeping in view the urges and aspirations of the people.
He said the party's demand for reduction of troops and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is a part of the same pro-people agenda as it has now become an unavoidable measure given the fast-transforming situation.
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