Dialogue, not 'warmongering' is PDP's agenda: Mehbooba

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said the "emerging scenario" in the state can be addressed best by following the vision of late CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, asserting that her party's agenda has always been dialogue and discourse and not "warmongering".
"My party's agenda has always been dialogue and discourse and not warmongering. The emerging scenario in Jammu & Kashmir and the subcontinent can be addressed best by executing and following the vision of late Mufti sahib," she said.
Addressing a meeting of party's district and zonal presidents of Jammu province here yesterday,she said the situation of past few months in the state and the consequent acrimonious relations between India and Pakistan could be resolved by implementing the political philosophy of ex-J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

She reminded the delegates that since its inception in 1999, the party has always stood for dialogue, peace and harmonious relations between India and Pakistan.
Wars have nowhere in the present world solved any problem, rather compounded them only, she added.
She said the problems being faced by the people of border areas in the state also underscore the need for pushing for a dialogue to resolve issues and maintain peaceful relations.

Terming the formation of PDP as a boon for the people of the State, she said the objective of late Mufti Sahib was to provide J&K people a platform from where they could express themselves freely.

She said democracy in J&K couldn't flourish earlier as people did not have such a platform which resulted in countless miseries to them.
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"We have to go back to the era of Vajpayee when hostilities between the two neighbouring countries were minimal and despite provocations like Kargil and Parliament attack, option of war was not even considered.
"Rather it led to opening of hearts and minds between the two sides which ultimately resulted into opening of borders, resumption of trade and more people to people contact," Mehbooba said.
"We are fighting to resolve the (Kashmir) issue for so many years. I feel that if we all -- the people of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir and governments in the state and at the Centre work together, we will be able to remove these knots. Once the big knot (Kashmir problem) is opened, it will automatically remove the small knots," she said.

Pakistan is also facing terrorism and in recent past over 500-600 people have been killed due to terrorism, said the Chief Minister who was flanked by her Deputy Nirmal Singh at the event where cheques of compensation to the refugees from PoK were distributed, decades after their exodus in 1947 and 1965. The Centre had recently announced Rs 2,000 crore special package as compensation for the families of the refugees.
Batting strongly for her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's ideology of having friendly relations with the neighbours and not to enter into conflict with each other, she said cross-border roads should open along the border line in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister also sought the support of people of the state and the central government to bring Kashmir out of the over five-month-long unrest.
"There is tension between the two countries but trade has not been affected via Wagah border," she said.
Saying that J and K has been the "biggest victim" of the subcontinent's partition of 1947, Mehbooba asked people of every region, ideology and religion to jointly fight for resolving issues confronting the state.
She said the people of J and K have been suffering since partition of 1947 unlike any other state.
She asked people of the state to join hands and lead in unbundling the "knots" which have tied them in a quagmire of "uncertainty and hopelessness".

The Chief Minister said she wishes the relations between India and Pakistan improve so that there is maximum trade and people's interactions, resulting in a consequential benefit to the people of the state.
She sought the help of all stakeholders in accomplishing this, saying it is her earnest desire to see the breeze of harmony, friendship and peace sweep the entire region so that South Asia gets rid of poverty, illiteracy, disease and destruction.
Mufti said wars all around have left behind a trail of death, destruction and displacement only. She said people of the state hold an important responsibility of ensuring and leading to friendly relations between India and Pakistan.