Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 8: Expressing satisfaction at the continuation of dialogue between India and Pakistan, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said it was imperative to focus on Jammu and Kashmir to make substantial headway.
Addressing a public meeting at Hanjoora in Charar-e-Sharif in Badgam district, he said, “unless the peace process is redirected to J&K-specific measures as happened in 2003, the dialogue will lack meaning for the people of this State who are the main stakeholders in reconciliation between the two countries.”
Mr Sayeed said the state had been looking forward keenly to wards implementation of the decisions taken last year between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on cross Line of control (LoC) trade and travel.
“Though it is a welcome move to ease the general visa regime between the two countries and allowing investment in each other’s business ventures, the inability to implement decisions pertaining to J&K has come as a huge disappointment here,” he said.
Mr Sayeed said such dithering on J&K-specific initiatives had the potential of neutralising gains on other fronts and the “hawkish mindset” on it among the security community of the two countries could subvert the entire process.
Referring to the earlier decisions taken by the two countries, Mr Sayeed said, “it will immensely benefit the region if the travel and trade across LoC is taken to the next level.”
He said the expansion of travel facility to people beyond the divided families, increasing the frequency of bus service and opening up of new routes like the Skardu-Kargil could “take us nearer the ultimate goal of having a hurdle-less border.”
The PDP patron said reopening of Srinagar Muzaffarabad road in 2005 was a historic first step that could be taken only because for the first time a sense of participation was given to the people of the state whose aspirations had positively been responded to by the Prime Minister Vajpayee. The bus service and the ceasefire ordered then are the only CMS that have survived many bad moments like the 26/11 incident since independence of South Asia. “The durability of these initiatives came from the fact that they had originated from the people of the state whose sentiment for peace and resolution was channeled by PDP and its Coalition Government with Congress and Mr Vajpayee had responded with statesmanship” Mufti said and urged people to help him bring back same spirit to resolve Kashmir issue once and for all. “The resolution of political problem and implementation of a visionary developmental plan can materialize only through democratic methods as had been established post 2002 and for that we need to use our vote with care, caution and wisdom” he said.
Addressing the rally senior party leader and former deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the National Conference led Government was demolishing all institutions of probity and accountability that had been established by the previous Government with painstaking efforts. He said since the Chief Minister himself and most of his ministers have faced serious allegations of corruption, this government has tried to find security in dismantling all the institutions like State Information Commission (SIC), State Accountability Commission (SAC), State Vigilance Commission (SVC) and the State Vigilance Organisation. They have also seriously compromised the independence of investigation by State Police, Baig said.
Coming down heavily on the government for a virtual disempowerment of SIC by revising the rules governing the RTI act, Baig said Omar Abdullah is trying to make all institutions his hand maidens. He said the revision of rules has reduced the SIC to a mere rubber stamp which will have no authority to enforce its decisions and it will result in added litigation even on routine matters of seeking information from the government.
Highlighting achievements of the previous PDP-Congress regime, Senior Vice President Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari said that PDP led regime had brought complete transparency in the governance and created an atmosphere for accelerating developmental activities. he, however, regretted that present regime has derailed the process of peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Noted RTI activist Dr Raja Muzaffar who recently joined the party also addressed the rally and highlighted the significance of the RTI and condemned the government action for amending RTI rules.
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