Srinagar, Publish Date: Mar 11 2018
Taking “serious note” of the statement made reportedly by Dr Haseeb A Drabu Finance Minister in a function at New Delhi regarding nature of problems in J&K, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice President Mohammad Sartaj Madni has asked the minister to retract the statement immediately if it has been reported correctly in the media.
In a statement issued today, Madni advised all the senior leaders to be careful in their statements and observations while commenting on the basic political philosophy and core agenda of the party.
Madni said the party recognizes Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue and ever since its emergence the Party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue , both at internal and external levels.
Recalling the “vision” of Party Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Madni, said that resolution of Kashmir problem formed core of his struggle and sacrifices.
PDP Vice President said it is unfortunate that the problem is seen by some forces in the sub-continent as a mere management assignment to contain peoples’ aspirations and the resolution commitment is being aimlessly undermined .
Acknowledging the difficulties in taking the resolution issue speedily forward , he said PDP feels highly perturbed at the obvious lack of urgency in resolving this issue and reiterates its commitment to uphold Party ‘s stated objectives in which the resolution of the political issue has a paramount importance.
Madni reminded how soon after its formation PDP leadership took forward the Kashmir case and soon emerged as hope. The party discerned the imperative of history to address the innermost yearning for resolution of Kashmir issue with peace with dignity. He recalled that those were times when there was all round despair in the state and people were suffering from a feeling of deep helplessness , strong alienation , cynical aloofness and complete lack of faith in democratic institutions and political process. It was PDP which changed the discourse through relentless struggle and clarity in objectives.
Madni affirmed that times now are of critical importance as India and Pakistan are in a denial mode and Jammu and Kashmir State is entangled in conflict and confrontation. He said , PDP realizes how important it is to reemphasise the struggle and how obligatory it becomes to refer to to Party’s agenda without any ambiguity or sense of despair. Madni said the Party will follow its agenda with added vigor and sincerity. Any impression of the political issue getting under the carpet can have a very negative impact and can spin the situation into another cycle of destabilisation in the region. In such a scenario the sufferings of the state’s people will immensely compound and the upcoming generation will move out of the space of reconciliation.
Madni said the period of reconciliation and dialogue from 2002-2005 has been the significant march forward on political front and it was then that the state witnessed to its joy and relief ceasefire across LOC . India and Pakistan took moves to liberate the people from mentality of siege. He said there was a compelling need to make that freedom movement easier, more comprehensive and meaningful , wehich ironically did not happen and state continued reels under spells of the vicious circle of violence.
Madni said after the fractured election mandate of 2014 PDP entered into Governance Alliance based on the agreement and agenda which is an effort towards seeking a national reconciliation on J&K , besides catalysing reconciliation and confidence building within and across the Line of Control (LOC).
Madni said PDP is committed to push its agenda for peaceful and dignified resolution of the Kashmir problem which alone will lessen the tension in the region and release huge financial resources of the two countries for development of their economies. He said the Party firmly believes that everyone one of us must come out of shells of our own making and should embark together in the common journey and quest for honour, peace and prosperity as this has been the avowed objective of PDP ever since its formation and growth.
