Will make every sacrifice to preserve Article 35 A: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Sep 09: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Sunday said her party will make every sacrifice to preserve Article 35 A of the Constitution, which is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.
Addressing a workers meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at Kangan in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, Mehbooba said her party was committed to preserve the sanctity of Article 35 A.
“During my government, I made every effort from engaging top notch lawyers to raising political awareness in the country and the state about the need for protection of Article 35 A.”
“… In future also whatever will be required, me and my party will do (it) for protecting the special status of the state,” she said.
The PDP president said resolving the problems in Jammu and Kashmir and working towards peace in South Asia by ensuring Indo-Pak friendship were the founding principles of her party.
“Ever since its formation, the PDP has been striving hard for realising these objectives with all seriousness,” she said.
“When our party formed government in 2002 with Congress, we laid out a schematic plan for attainment of these basic goals and bringing succour to common masses in the state,” she added.
Mehbooba further said measures, which were unheard of in the past, were taken by the PDP-led government to get the ball rolling on several vexed issues.
“Though that momentum lost its pace after 2008, the party continued with its basic agenda and with people’s approval when PDP came to power again in 2015, it made its alliance partner to commit on the issues of the state through an Agenda of Alliance, a document which got recognition at the national level,” she said.
The former chief minister said even while sharing power with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the PDP continued to push for its core agenda like protection of Article 370, dialogue with all stakeholders in the state and resumption of Indo-Pak peace process.
“This besides securing highest ever economic package for the state,” she said
She also asked Governor Satya Pal Malik to take all mainstream political parties on board before deciding to go ahead with Municipal and Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba told reporters at Kangan that dialogue process similar to the one undertaken by former Prime Minister Attal Bihari Vajpayee both with the stake holders in Jammu and Kashmir and as well as Government of Pakistan is the only way to restore peace for political process in the state.
After attending a public rally in Kangan, the PDP President said, “I as Chief Minister had convened an All Party Meeting over the issue of Panchayat elections early this year to evolve a consensus among the mainstream parties and this time I urge Governor to take an all-party meeting before deciding to go ahead with the proposed municipal and panchayat elections in the state.”

Urges India to respond positively to Pak’s friendship offer

Srinagar, Sep 9: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that India should accept Pakistan’s friendship offer so that peace prevails in J&K.
She said that India should respond positively to the friendship offer and give Pakistan a chance.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan PM Imran Khan and resume talks from where late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had left in order to end violence and bloodshed in J&K.
Mufti further said that during the PDP-BJP alliance in the Kashmir Valley, steps were taken to build a harmonious relationship with the neighbouring country.
Earlier, Mufti spoke about the chaos regarding the upcoming Panchayat polls in the valley following the bedlam over Article 35 A in the state. Mufti said that it was decided that the situation in the state is not conducive and security could not be provided to all.
Following her statement, party spokesperson Rafi Mir had said, “In the present situation, it is not right for elections, and as long as the government does not clear position on 35A and security issues, PDP will not take part in the process. The final call will be taken after government clarifies on the party’s fears.”