Hirra Azmat
Srinagar, Mar 27: Bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal’s newly-floated Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) received a shot in the arm on Wednesday as three-time legislator and former PDP leader Javaid Mustafa Mir joined the party.
Mir, who won the 2014 Assembly elections from Chadoora constituency in Budgam, was a cabinet minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti. He parted ways with the party in January.
On Wednesday, he joined hands with J&K People’s Movement in presence of Shah Faesal and other party members.
“I am not hungry for power. By joining this party, I want to address the problems of my people. Take the example of the media personnel assembled here, your problems can only be solved administratively and bureaucratically,” Mir said during a presser at JK People’s Movement office in Rajbagh here.
Asked what the reasons of him leaving PDP were, he dodged the question by saying, “There are number of politicians who have left parties and joined new ones. It’s just the beginning and you will soon see how the party unfolds its manifesto.”
Mir claimed that J&K People’s Movement is for the “liberal-minded and far-sighted people”.
“We are broad-minded people in this party so the masses should not hesitate in approaching us with any of their problems,” he said.
“There are two kinds of rights: rights of Allah and rights owed by fellow men or humanity. We should strive towards serving the latter as well and this won’t be possible unless our intentions are sincere,” he said, adding “God willing, you will see our intentions manifesting into something productive and beneficial to people”.
Welcoming the former PDP minister in his party, Faesal, said: “Today, it’s a red letter day for the J&K People’s Movement. A prominent figure in politics Javaid Mustafa Mir joined us in our journey.”
Extolling the political abilities of Mir, Faesal said, “Mir Sahab’s most endearing trait is known to all of us. He can go to any extent to bring positive changes in his constituency. Despite being active in public life for 20 years, as a legislator and minister, nobody dared to raise a finger at his character, integrity and honesty.”
Faesal said his party is ready to contest assembly polls “even if they will be announced tomorrow”.
“Our political journey is a blend of people which has veterans as well as rookies and people from all walks of life. This mixture will help us to evaluate a problem from different perspectives.
Under his patronage and guidance, I am sure we will accomplish our mission and change the face of politics going on from the last seventy years that has brought more destruction than progress,” Faesal said.
Mir was inducted as revenue minister in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP government in 2015.
However, he was dropped from the cabinet when Mehbooba Mufti assumed office in April 2016 after her father’s death.
This led to the growing differences between Mir and the party leadership. He has been critical of the PDP’s role in the coalition government ever since.
Mir was inducted into the cabinet again in December 2017.
However, he left the party in January this year, following footsteps of several party leaders who revolted against Mehbooba’s leadership after the BJP withdrew support to the party in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year.
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