SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Saturday said that Kashmir wasnt an international dispute and can be resolved through dialogue.
Talking to KNS at the martyrs graveyard in the shrine premises of Khwaja Naqshband sahib (RA) here, he said, Kashmir isnt an international dispute. When we were in power (2002-2008) we ensured that Kashmir problem is solved through talks and it was due to our efforts that then Prime Minister (Atal Behari) Vajpayee offered hand of friendship to Pakistan from Kashmir.
We also involved Hurriyat in dialogue process. We opened roads (Srinagar-Muzafaerbad) in our tenure and released political leaders. Mobile service was introduced in our time in J&K, he said. We took then Prime Minister in a public rally where he offered hand of friendship to Pakistan. But recently when Prime Minister Manmohan and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi came here, Kashmir was placed under curfew and they were taken to Banihal.
We entered into coalition with Congress in 2002 for the betterment of Kashmiris. It changed the situation in Kashmir and Vajpayee offered hand of friendship to Pakistan which was reciprocated by General Musharaf, he claimed.
Asked to comment on possibility of pre-poll or post-poll alliance between National Conference and Congress, he evaded direct answer, They are already in alliance and are responsible for the present uncertainty in Kashmir. There is financial indiscipline and there is no governance and accountability in J&K. Due to incompetence of state government Rs 3000 crore remained unspent last fiscal, he rued.
On hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Mufti said, I wrote a letter to Prime Minister and told him that it was a setback to Kashmiris. By not allowing his son and wife to meet him was against the basics of democracy. I was told that they will discuss the issue with me in Delhi. And when I went there I discussed it with them.
In reply to a question about the controversy over the latest remarks of Narendra Modi, Mufti said the Gujarat chief minister cant escape the responsibility for the massacre of 2002. He said the latest remarks of Modi only add insult to injury as they are grossly insensitive and indecent and would certainly offend a great majority of the people in the country. He said Modi instead of trying to make amends for his performance during the riots could further polarize the situation through his insensitive remarks.
Paying rich tributes to the martyrs of 1931 for their pioneering contribution to political emancipation of Kashmir, the PDP patron said it was an irony that the day marking a glorious milestone in the history of the state was observed under severe restrictions and total strike.
This certainly must not have been the dream of those who offered the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of the state from the feudal and autocratic rule, he added.
Mufti said it is brazen violation of democratic norms that political leaders had been imprisoned in their homes to prevent them from paying tributes to the martyrs. He said it was condemnable that the present government had almost completely suspended civil liberties and fundamental right to expression. We cant claim to be a democracy as long as we have to resort to draconian laws and illegal methods to suppress the voices that government of the day does not like or does not have the capacity to engage and address politically, he said and added the government is unable to face any occasion without resorting to force and illegal restrictions. Be it a Friday, Ramzan, Eid, a VIP visit or any other special occasion the insecure government resorts to imprisoning the entire population and arresting political leaders, Mufti said.
Stressing that full democratic space should be ensured to all political leaders subscribing to any political thought or ideology, Mufti said dictatorial methods adopted by the government would lead nowhere except complicating the problems and adding to mistrust, alienation and anger.
He said during the brief period of PDP-led coalition no prisoners were taken, no leaders were put under house arrest and there was no law and order problem, which is cited by the present government as reason for curtailing the freedom of its political opponents. If we could run the state without resorting to PSA and other draconian methods, it is not understandable as to why the present govt is denying fundamental rights of expression and movement to political leaders of all kinds, said Mufti.
PDP patron earlier laid wreaths on the graves of the martyrs. He was accompanied by senior party leaders, Tariq Hameed Qarra, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, district president Srinagar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Nisar Ahmad Mandoo Khursheed Aalam and Abdul Hameed Guroo, Showkat Goyoor and Nazir Ahmad Yatoo.
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