Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K PDP) President Mufti of Mehbooba said on Wednesday that she would not run in the parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmirand pointed out that she would not be able to implement her party’s agenda in the union territory even if she became chief minister.
“I was chief minister in a BJP-led government that withdrew FIRs against 12,000 people (in 2016). Can we do that today? I, as chief minister in a (PM) Modi-led government, wrote a letter to the separatists to invite them for talks. Can you do that today? I (enforced) a ceasefire on the ground. Can you do that today? If you, as chief minister, cannot withdraw an FIR, what do you do with a post like that?” she said.
The PDP leader was asked if she had changed her mind about contesting the election after arch-rival National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah changed his stance of not contesting the election until Jammu and Kashmir ceased to be a union territory.
“Omar himself said he had to go to the (deputy) governor to transfer a peon. I am not worried about the peon’s transfer, but can we implement our agenda?” the former chief minister said.
Omar Abdullah, who had vowed not to contest the parliamentary elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir remained a union territory, was one of the 32 candidates named by the party on Tuesday (August 27).
The former chief minister will contest the elections in Ganderbal, where he won in 2008.
On the alliance between the National Conference and the Congress for the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP chairman said that the two parties had always joined forces only for the sake of power.
“When we entered into an alliance with Congress in 2002, we had an agenda. We released Syed Ali Geelani from jail. Can you imagine doing that today? When we entered into an alliance with the BJP government in 2014, we had an agenda for the alliance in which we put in writing that Article 370 will not be touched, AFSPA will be repealed, talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat will be held, power projects will be restarted, etc. We had an agenda. But when Congress and NC enter into an alliance, it is about power,” she added.
On the possibility of Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla Sheikh Abdul Rashid and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah being released from prison before the elections, she said it would be a good development.
She called on the government to also consider releasing lesser-known individuals who were entitled to bail but had been denied it.
“This is very good. I say you can put a person in jail but you cannot lock up the ideas. Democracy is a battle of ideas. It has been delayed but Engineer Rashid and Shabir Shah should be released, along with all those languishing in jails, entitled to bail but not even getting that relief.
“The government has repeatedly said that it wants to start a reconciliation process in Jammu and Kashmir. I tell them to open the doors of the prisons and the reconciliation process will begin,” she added.
Ms. Mehbooba said the PDP was fighting for a greater cause as it was the only party implementing its agenda after coming to power.
“In 2002, we said we would repeal POTA and we did. We said we would open routes (across the Line of Control) and we did. We said we would facilitate talks and we did that with the Hurriyat conference. We follow our agenda and even today our agenda is that there is a problem that cannot be solved without addressing it. And the reinstatement of Article 370 is also important for solving that problem.
“We have always fought alone, on the basis of popular support and to address people’s problems,” she said.
Later, two aspiring politicians joined the PDP in the presence of the PDP chairman.
