Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 7: People’s Democratic Party (PDP), president, Mehbooba Mufti today said the urge for change in governance system is perceptible from Kathua to Karnah and it could come only with a change in the Government.
Addressing public meeting at Tangdhar and workers meet in Teetwal in Karnah, she said the PDP considers peace between India and Pakistan as the foundation for resolution of the problems of Jammu and Kashmir, and it would carry forward the reconciliation efforts, if the people gave it a decisive mandate in the coming Lok Sabah and Assembly elections.
Senior PDP leaders and MLA, Ab Haq Khan, chief spokesman and MLC Naeem Akhtar, State Secretary Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Raja Manzoor, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Gh Mohd Mir, Javed Mirchal, Khawja Fareed Ahmad, Qari Irshad, Mohd Afzal Wani, Mohd Yaqoob Wani and others were also present and spoke on this occasion.
Mehbooba said the iron curtain of the Line of Control (LoC), guarded by two major armies of the world, had resulted in a siege around them and places like Karnah, Teetwal, Uri, Poonch, Gurez had turned into dead ends, after historically enjoying the centrality of their location. She added that the shelling and firing across the LoC has made life there miserable.
She said the cease-fire agreement between India and Pakistan in 2003, had brought peace into the lives of people living in the border areas, and it was not restricted to cessation of hostility alone, but was perceived as the essential first step in building peace and reconciliation, so that these artificial borders could ultimately be opened for travel and trade.
She said PDP during its brief tenure in the Government played a pivotal role in getting India and Pakistan close to each other and solid progress was visible on making Kashmir a bridge between the two neighbours. But that whole process was reversed with the arrival of the present Government.
She said time has now come that the process of reconciliation is taken to its next level, by implementing the decisions to extend the travel facility to groups beyond the divided families.
Mehbooba said Omar Abdullah has declared war with every section of the society especially the youth, and it is now up to the people to think and make sure that the insensitive and inept rulers are shown the door.
She said NC had made number of hollow promises to the people in Karnah, like launching a special recruitment drive, building of tunnel across the Sadna pass and many other things, but nothing has been done on ground.
Improving internal road connectivity is important part of PDP’s agenda she said and assured the people of Karnah that it will construct a tunnel to connect the area with rest of the Valley. She said it was the PDP’s efforts through which the Centre had promised funds under Prime Minister’s economic package, for constructing a tunnel through Zojila to provide all weather connectivity to Ladakh region.
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