Will leave all seats for NC-Congress alliance if it supports our agenda: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Aug 24: Releasing her party’s manifesto, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti today said that she is ready to leave all seats for the National Conference (NC)- Congress poll alliance if it supports “ our agenda of resolution of Kashmir issue within India constitution and restoration of the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

She was addressing a press conference at the manifesto release function here. Mehbooba stated that neither the elections nor the seat sharing is important for  PDP. “ What is important for us is the resolution of the Kashmir issue to take out our people from the decades-long sufferings,” she said

The PDP President stated that the  NC-Congress alliance is only for seat sharing and is not an alliance based on some agenda.  “PDP is above these seat-sharing arrangements and assembly polls. Our prime objective is to work for the solution of  the Kashmir issue. If they (NC-Congress) support us we are ready to leave all seats for them,” she said.

The PDP manifesto says that the resolution of the Kashmir issue is the path to lasting peace. It adds, “The PDP remains unwavering in its commitment to resolving the Kashmir issue, recognising it as the cornerstone for lifting the people of Jammu and  Kashmir out of the persistent cycle of violence and unrest.”

The manifesto advocates diplomatic initiatives between India and Pakistan, emphasising conflict resolution, confidence-building measures, and regional cooperation,  establishing  full connectivity across the LoC for trade and social exchange,  regional free trade area and shared economic market.

The manifesto also promises to strive for  revocation of  PSA, AFSPA, UAPA and Enemy Act “to put an end to unjust arrests of political and social activists, journalists, civil society and concerned citizens.” The  PDP manifesto also favours taking measures to tackle unemployment.

Mehbooba said that PDP was formed in August 1999 with an objective because J&K is not like any other state. “Jammu and Kashmir for the last 77 years has been the centre of political uncertainty and insecurities. So in 1999 when we were in Congress, I was the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sahib a parliament member.

We left Congress and founded PDP.  Earlier , and even now the parties, who are out of national mainstream. talk about Kashmir's solution. Mufti Sahab being the former home minister of the country and  based on his experience wanted mainstream parties, who believe in the Indian constitution, to make a beginning for the solution of the Kashmir issue. He believed that only then can something happen.

And that is the reason that our declaration at that time had some important points. The most important being that PDP will facilitate help in improving the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and to take out Jammu and Kashmir from these sufferings,” she said.

The PDP President added that the other important point was reconciliation with internal and external forces. “When PDP got a chance to form the government with Congress, we emphasised these points. Today also, I think the Jammu and Kashmir issue is very much there. There are graveyards in every village. People in Kashmir were killed and people in Jammu were killed. Our security forces from different parts of the country were martyred here and the issue is very much there. And infact, it has got complicated further after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A,” she said.

The PDP President added that Article 370 was a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir state and the country. “BJP wanted to bring the Kashmir issue towards Article 370 and, then to statehood. Earlier, the discussion on the Kashmir issue was on election and now it is about seat sharing and which party will get how many seats in the alliance. I think the Kashmir issue is complicated,” she said.

Mehbooba viewed that recent parliamentary polls indicated that the people particularly in north Kashmir showed that they were not ready to forget the Kashmir issue as they ensured the victory of a person, who the government says is a separatist and involved in a terror funding case. “It shows the Kashmir issue exists. So PDP's policy is to follow Mufti Sahab's doctrine and vision.

Some leaders and parties are talking about their vision and have been talking about it for the last 70 years. But they are not implementing it. But Mufti Sahab is the only leader who got the agenda implemented whether in Vajpayee Ji's time or that of the Dr Manmohan Singh Ji's time. Dialogue occurred with Pakistan and separatists here. Roads were opened through Rawalakot and Uri,” she said.

Mehbooba added that the PDP wants to carry forward that agenda. “Jammu and Kashmir is not only an Article 370 issue or statehood issue. Jammu and Kashmir is not an election issue nor a seat-sharing issue. For us, J&K is a live issue and humanitarian issue. We have been given a roadmap by Mufti Sahab for dialogue and reconciliation. But the beginning should be made from the home. Reconciliation should be from home. The pulls and pressure on people should be ended and the dignity of people restored,” she said.

The PDP President stated that her party will strive to lift the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and get their attached assets released.

She ruled out any post-poll alliance with BJP.

“In past we had not formed coalition government with BJP party but with BJP government at centre. We had got a guarantee from BJP  leaders that they would not touch Article 370.  As long as our government was there they did nothing. After the fall of our government they abrogated article 370,” Mehbooba said.

The PDP President said that her party is taking back only those leaders who had not opposed “our policies and agenda.”