KULGAM: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has reminded the leadership in New Delhi and Islamabad that the route to peace in subcontinent traverses through Kashmir and any bonhomie between the two neighbors should put Kashmir and Kashmiris front and centre.
Addressing a gathering of party workers at District Convention Kulgam, Mehbooba said that any renewed thaw in the relationships of the two countries is subservient to the progress made towards addressing the long pending political and democratic demands of people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Recent statement of Pakistan army chief calling for burying the hatchet and moving the Indo-Pak relationship forward is a positive development. But we must be reminded that aiming for low hanging fruit like movement of goods and people through Wagah border or giving India a passage to Central Asia via Pakistan and Afghanistan while putting Kashmir issue at the back burner is akin to missing wood for the trees,” Mehbooba said.
“If they are really sincere and mean business they must know that the process of reconciliation has to begin with Kashmir. While statements back and forth indicate a movement forward but people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be shrouded in the veil of darkness without any reprieve in sight,” she added. Addressing the convention, senior party leader Dr Mehboob Beg lauded the steadfastness and resolve of party president Mehbooba Mufti for her constant advocacy of resolution of Kashmir issue despite the full frontal assault on the party and its leadership. Highlighting the decay in governance and public delivery mechanism senior leader and former Minister Sofi Ab Gaffar chided the administration for its deep slumber and incompetence in mitigating the miseries of the people.
Those who attended and addressed the convention include party chief spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari, State Secretary Gulzar Khattana, district president Kulgam Sheikh Gh Mohi-ud-Din, DDC members Gulzar Ahmed Dar and Gulzar Ah Sheikh, senior leaders Mohd Amin Dar, Zaffrullah Wani, Mohd Amin, Sajjad Ahmed and Manzoor Zargar.
