Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 4: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said today that she would become Chief Minister of the State if she feels that her decision can benefit people of Jammu and Kashmir and dreams and aspirations of the people of the State are fulfilled.
Addressing party workers during membership drive at PDP headquarters here, Mehbooba said: “the roadmap of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was “viable, credible and pragmatic’’ for addressing internal and external dimensions of all issues concerning the State and its people’’.
“There is no point in assuming the charge of top post if it is not in the interests of the people of the State. If I assumed the Chief Minister’s post, it should benefit the masses, who have been witnessing the turbulent times,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti today had an hour long meeting with Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhawan this afternoon during which they discussed political situation, developmental works and economic situation in the State.
During the membership drive, former Advisor to Chief Minister, Amitabh Mattoo also joined the PDP and was given the membership card.
Reiterating her resolve to carry forward the policies and programmes of Mufti Sayeed to restore lasting peace in the region, Mehbooba said that Mufti had a pragmatic roadmap for establishing peace and prosperity in this region by involving all stakeholders including India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She said that roadmap of Mufti Sahib’s was the viable, credible and pragmatic solution for addressing internal and external dimensions of all issues concerning the State of Jammu and Kashmir and its people.
She reminded the gathering that peace and reconciliatory policies, formulated and implemented by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, were appreciated and endorsed by the successive Governments at New Delhi. “Be it the then NDA Government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee or the then UPA regime led by Dr Manmohan Singh, the pro-peace policies and programmes of Mufti were appreciated by the successive regimes”, she said and added that PDP will carry forward the healing touch policy of Mufti for restoring lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
“PDP, under the leadership of Mufti Sayeed, has shown in the past that it can facilitate the resolution process with prudence, and party is ready to shoulder the responsibility of taking the process to its logical conclusion” she asserted and reminded the people that it was all due to the efforts of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that residents of border areas were living peaceful life.
“In 2002 after forming Government with Congress, Mufti had pursued the peace process with determination and commitment and established peace in this region”, she pointed out and recalled a number of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) taken by the successive Governments at Delhi for restoring peace.
The PDP president mentioned towards recent visit of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to Pakistan. “It was result of Prime Minister’s visit that first time, after Pathankot attack, Pakistani authorities have arrested some accused and started investigation in the attack”, she pointed out, adding, “Pakistan is also bearing brunt of the militancy because it is believed that some ‘non state actors’ are involved in such activities”.
Pointing towards the decision taken by Mufti to form Government with BJP in the State, she said”Mufti had joined NDA with the hope that it can work together with the country’s leadership to restore peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir. This decision was taken in the interests of the people of the State”.
Mehbooba said PDP has a critical role to play and a great responsibility to discharge in shaping up a politically stable and economically emancipated Jammu & Kashmir as the party’s very foundation is based on this very premise.
“It was the dream of Mufti Sayeed to see sustainable peace and stability in the region. That is why he had founded the PDP, otherwise he could have become Chief Minister even while being in Congress,” she said and reiterated her party’s resolve to realize the unfinished agenda of dignified political peace and sustainable economic prosperity for the people in all the regions and sub-regions of the State.
Ms Mufti further said that providing an alternative to the people of Jammu and Kashmir was the biggest contribution of Mufti in the political history of the State and political discourse of the State has been changed after formation of the PDP.
“Mufti had strong faith in the democratic system of the country. It was all due to the Indian democracy that after completing his education, Mufti had joined main stream politics to provide an alternative to the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, she recalled and added that Mufti believed in inclusive growth and to provide equality opportunity of development and socio-economic growth to every individual.
“It was all due to the assiduous effort of Mufti that PDP has scripted a new chapter of peace and development in the State and provided an alternative to the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, she said and added that Mufti was of the opinion that democracy was the best way to address aspirations of the people by involving common masses in governance. She, however, regretted that unlike other parts of the country people of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of the real taste of democracy.
She said it was only after formation of PDP that an alternative was emerged in the State and added that formation of PDP was turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir because this party has emerged as credible and real voice of the people due to convictions of Mufti.
Recalling Mufti’s affection and attachment with people of Jammu region, the PDP president that former Chief Minister, throughout his life, had worked for strengthening relations among different region and sub-regions of the State.
Sardar Rangil Singh, Ved Mahajan, Mehboob Iqbal, T S Bajwa, Choudhary Zulfikar, Dhaman Bhasin, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Naeem Akthar, Shanti Devi, Rafiq Hussain Khan,Yuvraj Vikramaditya Singh, Surinder Choudhary, Jatindra Bhat, Falail Singh, Wahid-ur-Rehman Parra, Mehboob Beg, Sajjad Mufti, Hussain Ali Bafa, Surjeet Kour, Ramesh Koul, Amreek Singh Reen, Bharat Choudhary, Puneet Singh Jamwal, Sohit Sharma, Nitish Mahajan and others also addressed the function.
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