Political monopoly in Kashmir thing of past: Mufti

Srinagar: Stating that Political Monopoly in Kashmir was a thing of past, Peoples Democratic Party Patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed Saturday urged the prime minister to set the process of addressing internal dimension of Kashmir issue into motion by taking some urgent and solid action to restore confidence among people.Addressing a public meeting at Sumbal Sonawari, he said the credibility of resolution process could not be restored so long as the voice of dissent is muzzled. “The minimum that the Prime Minister can do to create a congenial atmosphere is to order release of all political prisoners and the youth who are in jails without any trial,” he said, a spokesman quoted him saying in a statement here.Mufti said democracy loses meaning the moment any body’s right of expression and dissent is curbed without a reason. He said democracy is a battle of ideas and dissent is its essence. It was unfortunate that the state has had to suffer constant denial of right to differ, he said, and claimed that PDP was the first party that legitimized dissent in Jammu & Kashmir which was otherwise dubbed as “anti national.”Giving a few instances of the prisoners currently held in jails Mufti said Qazi Yasir’s imprisonment was like a black spot on our system. He said the young religious leader from Islamabad who was himself orphaned in tragic circumstances lost his uncle Qazi Amanullah and was not allowed to even have a meeting with him. When PDP president Mehbooba Mufti urged a top government department official to release Qazi Yasir to enable him to attend the funeral of his uncle it was expected that he would be released without conditions, he said. Mufti regretted that Yasir was rearrested barely an hour of the funeral leaving the bereaved family under a multiple shock. “Could this be called a democratic conduct of the government,” he wondered.Mufti said similarly Ashraf Sehrai who is held for a long time in jail is an octogenarian and could never be a threat to law and order if he is allowed to operate politically. Gh Nabi Sumji another elderly leader, he pointed out, has a close kin fighting a serious ailment but he is not able even to see her.The PDP Patron said J&K had come a long way from the days when a single party monopolized the political space and could crush dissent in the name of upholding national interest. “PDP is here as a watch dog of your interests,” he  told the people and recalled how he had convinced even the BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the need to address Kashmir politically rather than continuing with the strong arm tactics that had been fallowed since 1947 without allowing democratic voices to be raised. He said the United States along with its own might and NATO resources has been using its formidable war machine in Afganistan for the last one decade. “But for a resolution they have to talk to the people of Afganistan which is the golden rule for conflict resolution any where.”Mufti said the immediate confidence building measures must include reduction of troops fromcivilian areas and revocation of AFSPA so that the democratic aspirations of the people can bloom fully as is happening else where in the country. He said the internal dimension can not wait for the completion of resolution process with Pakistan. “What should be done first must be done first” he asserted.