PDP played historical role for peace in sub-continent: Mufti

Katra: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Thursday said that his party has played historical role in restoring peace in the India Sub-Continent because the agenda of peace and reconciliation has yielded encouraging results. 

Addressing one convention of party workers of district Reasi here today, Sayeed, while pointing towards some new initiatives taken by India and Pakistan to further improve their relations, said that foundation to take such bold initiatives for strengthening relations between two neighbouring countries were laid only during PDP led regime after 2002. “Although we had only 16 members in our kitty but it was result of our convictions that we convinced successive regimes at Delhi to take some bold decisions to restore peace in this region especially to improve relations with Pakistan”, he said and recalled the historic announcement made by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee from Srinagar in which he had extended hand of friendship towards Pakistan. “Tension was high on borders at that time but it was all due to the result of PDP’s pro-peace agenda that the then Prime Minister had made such historic announcement from Srinagar”, he recalled.
Sayeed that PDP had scripted a new chapter of peace and development in the State. He said that July 28, 1999 was landmark in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir because PDP was formed on that very day and this party has revived peoples’ faith in the democratic institutions. It was PDP that had restored people faith democracy, he said and especially mentioned victory of party candidate Qazi Mohammed Afzal from Ganderbal assembly segment, which was once considered as bastion of NC, in the year 2002. “Unlike other parts of the country, people of Jammu and Kashmir, for decades together, were not allowed to get the taste of democracy because NC had never allowed democracy to flourished here”, he said and added that it was PDP that has challenged the hegemony of NC and allowed the democracy to flourish here.
“The way people of the state has been supporting our party, it has become clear that there is no alternative of PDP in the state and this party is going to change destiny of the people by implementing its progressive and visionary agenda”, he said, adding, “change is imminent in Jammu and Kashmir because people have faith on the policies and programmes of PDP.”