While maintaining suspense over government formation, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti today met Jammu-based party leaders, a day after arriving from Srinagar for the first time since the demise of her father and the then Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed about a month back.
Mehbooba visited Jammu region's party headquarters at Gandhi Nagar and met party leaders for two-and-a-half hours.
It was her first visit to the party headquarters here since Sayeed's death on January 7.
She did not speak to the media but her party's MLC and spokesman Firdos Tak said BJP will need to respond to issues raised by Mehbooba before any steps could be taken for coalition government formation.
"She (Mehbooba Ji) has catagorically stated that some CMBs need to taken by the Centre. BJP has sought time. It is they who will have to explain," he said.
"Both coalition partners have to sit and decide," he said.
On BJP leader Ram Madav's statement there will be no condition for the formation of the government, Tak said, "there are no fresh conditions from PDP side. We want the implementation of the 'Agenda of Alliance' formed by both the coalition partners."
With regard to time-line for formation of the government, he said, "Until the CMBs are not initiated (by New Delhi), there can be no government formation."
Mehbooba had asserted after meeting Governor N N Vohra yesterday that PDP "cannot move forward" in forming government with BJP unless the Centre takes "tangible" CBMs to address thecauses of alienation and works towards a lasting solution to the state's problems.
Mufti, who was invited by Vohra for consultations on government formation, told him that she would like to see the Centre take "concrete steps" to address causes of the state's "political uncertainty, economic disempowerment, development deficit, unfulfilled promises" before she makes any moves to form the government with BJP.
Vohra, who had stepped in to break the month-long impasse, also held consultations with BJP leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who said the party will take any step only after PDP elects its Legislature Party leader and notifies the Governor about it.
BJP asked the Governor for 10 days' time to "resolve whatever is outstanding" with PDP.
(REOPENS DES11)
Reiterating the urgency of initiating dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister called for engaging all sections of the society in a credible and meaningful political process for the resolution of the issue.
The country's political leadership must, without any further delay, reach out and engage all sections of the society including the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference in a productive dialogue process to resolve the issue and make peace a reality in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba said while interacting with people at Mashooq's residence.
The Chief Minister said it is perhaps for the first time that the Kashmir issue has been, during the past two months, discussed in so many forums and at so many levels including Parliament and at all-party meetings where judicious views were put across by all shades of the country's political opinion on how to end the stalemate.
The need of the hour is to build on this larger political consensus within the country and initiate tangible measures to address the issue, she said.
During her meeting with the Prime Minister last month, she suggested a three-pronged approach including talks with all sections of society within J&K including the separatist leadership and also with Pakistan to put the reconciliation and resolution process back on track, Mehbooba said.
She expressed the hope that the upcoming visit of the all-party delegation to the state will facilitate revival of the much-needed peace and resolution process in and around Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said that the people of the state have given the present government the mandate to voice their urges and aspirations and seek resolution of the problems by involving all the stakeholders in a productive dialogue process.
The same has been reiterated in the Agenda of Alliance wherein it has been made clear that the state government will create conditions to facilitate resolution of all issues and will help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all the stakeholders, including all political groups in J&K irrespective of their ideological views and predilections to build a broad based consensus on resolution of all outstanding issues of J&K, she said.
Referring to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi s latest statement that the seeds of the current unrest in Kashmir were sown during Independence and a solution to the problem will be found , Mehbooba said the prevailing situation in Kashmir presents not just a challenge, but also an opportunity to the Prime Minister to take some bold measures towards resolution of the issue and make India more at peace not only with its neighbours, but also with itself.
Stressing the need for revival of peace, reconciliation
and confidence building initiatives, both on internal and external fronts, which she said had worked so well between 2002 and 2005, Mehbooba said the present situation in Kashmir calls for every right thinking party, group or individual to rise to the occasion and strive for finding ways and avenues for the restoration of peace and resolution of the problem.
To end the stalemate and rein in the vicious cycle of violence, the doors for purposeful, constructive and unconditional dialogue need to be opened, she said.
"Right now Kashmir is again embroiled in a burning situation and we have hope that all sides will pick up elements of sanity and pragmatism and strike a new benchmark towards the resolution of the problem in light of the global and sub-continental realities," she said.
While the separatist leadership shall also have to take a step forward, the Centre on its part shall have to put off the fire on internal discontent, Mehbooba said.
Maintaining that the people of the state have always responded positively to the initiatives in improving the security situation, Mehbooba said the fact that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the biggest custodians of its interests has to be recognised to completely end the atmosphere of trust deficit.
"We have to work with compassion and through a humanitarian approach to reach out to and support the families who have lost their near and dear ones to the violence in prevailing situation and support them in living a dignified life," she said and added that the government won't be seen wanting in this endeavour as most of the victims of the current unrest belong to the poorest of the poor families.
Stating that the people in Kashmir have to pay huge costs during recurrent unrests by way of losing precious lives, facing colossal economic losses, educational deprivation and social erosion, the Chief Minister said the pain of Kashmiris has reached a level, where the hope for a peaceful resolution of their problems is sure to get substantial support.
"We should not allow this opportunity to be lost, especially when all the political parties in the country are on board for a permanent solution," she said.
