Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Aug 25: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today said that her party would contest the upcoming elections alone, noting that the PDP has already announced its candidates.
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Mufti while addressing a press conference welcomed the possibility of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) participating in elections but demanded the lifting of the ban on JeI.
“If communal groups that stone mosques are not banned, then why is JeI, which has contributed significantly to education and relief work, still banned?” she asked.
Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that Article 370 can never be restored, Mufti said that the Home Minister is endorsing the separatists’ belief that the unification of Jammu and Kashmir with India never truly happened.
Mufti said that her party believes Jammu and Kashmir united with India through Article 370, but the separatists argue that it did not. “By saying this, Amit Shah essentially endorses the separatists’ view that unification never really took place, she asked.
She emphasized that the Home Minister needs to comprehend her party’s position, which advocates for resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue within the Indian Constitution.
Mufti also referred to the BJP government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which recognized the Kashmir issue and engaged in dialogue with both Pakistan and separatist leaders. She argued that Article 370 served as a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country, but that bridge was dismantled. “They saw the consequences when people in North Kashmir responded by voting on the issue of plebiscite. The Kashmir issue still exists and has become more complicated with the removal of Article 370,” she added.
Regarding her recent remarks about supporting a Congress-NC alliance, Mufti clarified that her party is ready to offer support if their agenda is accepted. “Whenever the PDP allied with Congress through the Common Minimum Programme or with the BJP via the Agenda of Alliance, we had a clear agenda. Similarly, we now have an agenda; seat sharing can be discussed later. If they accept our agenda, we are ready to support them,” she said.
On dialogue with Pakistan and India’s stance that talks should focus on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Mufti suggested joint representation from both sides to address issues in divided regions. “If Amit Shah truly believes the other part of Kashmir belongs to India, what is the problem with the PDP’s demand for a joint representative committee?” she asked.
She also criticized the inconsistency in the Government’s approach, pointing out that if there are no issues with Pakistan, why did Modi visit Lahore? “They should follow Vajpayee’s footsteps, who initiated a peace process. When Modi can meet Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan, why resist reconciliation?” she asked.
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