Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 18: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, filed his nomination papers from Baramulla constituency today.
Baig was accompanied by PDP senior leader Dillawar Mir and other party workers to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Baramulla.
The number of candidates who filed the nomination papers so far has reached 10 with Baig, Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, Mohammad Shafi Bhat, and Independent candidate Abdul Hamid Malik filing nomination papers today before the Returning Officer of the constituency, Farooq Lone.
There is triangular contest in the constituency between sitting MP and National Conference leader, Sharifudin Shariq, PDP candidate Baig and People’s Conference candidate Salamudin Bajad.
After filing nomination papers Baig addressed various election meetings in Uri area of Baramulla district. He accused Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, of blaming everybody except himself and his Government for his failures.
“They (NC leaders) are accusing the PDP of being allies of Modi and Jamat-e-Islami and in the same breath they blame us of being the recipients of support from Army and Hizbul Mujahideen,” Baig said.
The former Deputy Chief Minister said the border areas of Uri are destined to become the northern gateway of Jammu and Kashmir and the travel and trade across the Line of Control (LoC) will definitely be taken to next level, with the support of the people.
The PDP leader said corruption and mis-governance have reached beyond tolerance under Omar Abdullah led coalition Government and urged people to give a decisive mandate to PDP, under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for good governance and corruption free State.
Baig said that Omar criticizes the opposition MLAs for lack of development like providing water, power, roads, healthcare and education, in their constituencies as if they run the Government. “On the other hand, when he goes to areas represented by his own party, he (Omar) uses the Kashmir problem as a shield against his inability to deliver”, he added.
The former Chief Minister said the PDP had led a coalition that set new standards of development and political progress. He said it was no mere coincidence that a major political progress on Kashmir, in the shape of the trans-LoC Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) was taken, when PDP was leading the coalition for three years between 2002 and 2005.
“Not only this, but exchange of delegations of traders, political leaders, journalists, diplomats and opinion leaders took place between the two sides of the State, for first time since independence”, said Baig.
Baig said progress was visible on making Kashmir a bridge between India and Pakistan, instead of it being a bone of contention. “Unfortunately whole process was reversed by the Omar led Government”, he added.
The PDP leader said the cease-fire in 2003 was not just a cessation of hostilities between the two neighbours which had brought immense miseries to the people of the border areas, but it was a beginning of building peace, amity and understanding, which had culminated in historic decisions of opening of Srinagar-Muzzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakot travel and trade routes.
“Important principles have been conceded by the Governments of India and Pakistan, regarding trans-LoC travel and trade”, said Baig.
“It is now time that the process is taken to its next level, by implementing the decisions to extend the travel facility to groups beyond the divided families. Increase the frequency of bus services, re-opening of the routes like Kargil-Skardu and also provide communication and banking backup to the LoC traders,” said the PDP leader adding once that is done and the procedures are relaxed, places like Uri would become hub of trade and tourism. He accused the NC of trading off resources of the Uri area for their political power.
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