Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday dropped enough hints that it might form new government in Jammu and Kashmir with its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“We’re working on how to move ahead on Agenda of Alliance (the common minimum programme reached with BJP for the government formation last year),” senior PDP leader and former education minister, Naeem Akhtar, told reporters after a meeting of its extended core group here.
Elaborating on ‘Agenda of the Alliance’, he said it was the holy scripture for PDP and many things have happened under late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed as chief minister.”
The core group following deliberation spread over five hours authorised PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to take the final call on the government formation. “Mehbooba Ji has been assured of all the support by all the party members and she will take the final call on government formation,” Mr. Akhtar said.
Later a statement issued by the party said that the meeting “wholeheartedly and unanimously” supported Mufti as its leader and expressed full confidence in her leadership qualities. It reiterated that the party authorized its president to take any decisions needed to carry forward Mr. Sayeed’s ‘mission and implementing his political and developmental vision’.
The statement signed by PDP’s chief spokesman Mehboob Beg said that while speaking at the meeting Ms. Mufti pledged to work towards accomplishing the party patron’s “mission of reconciliation, peace and prosperity for the people of the State and the region.” He added that all senior party leaders including MPs and former ministers attended the meeting held with Mufti in chair.
“The meeting expressed gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for endorsing PDP’s political and economic agenda set-out under the visionary leadership of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and helping the party to emerge as the premier regional force within a short span of 16 years,” the statement. It added, “It observed that under the visionary leadership of Mufti Sahib, the PDP in 1999 set forth on a journey to change the course of Jammu and Kashmir for better. The party established clear political priorities for itself and focused on them relentlessly to pull J&K out of the morass of instabilities and uncertainties plaguing the State for the past more than six decades”.
“The meeting reiterated that PDP would work, with fresh resolve, towards accomplishing the vision of Mufti Sahib to create a space of dignity, opportunity and prosperity for the people of Jammu & Kashmir in the paradigm of friendship and cooperative relationship between India and Pakistan,” the statement said adding “It was firm belief of Mufti Sahib that the resolution of the problems of Jammu and Kashmir is possible only in the paradigm of cordial ties between India and Pakistan with J&K becoming a hub of this cooperative relationship”.
The meeting welcomed the new initiative taken by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to improve relationships with Pakistan “which is an important objective of the agenda of alliance and Mufti Sahib’s political legacy”.
The meeting observed that on the internal front Mr. Sayeed was a strong votary of espousing the constitutional methods of finding resolution to the political problem and the issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir and safeguarding the State’s distinct identity and the special status. “He used to address the political aspirations, economic needs and developmental deficit of the State from a position of authority and with confidence,” it meeting observed.
