Respond with substantive measures Mufti to Centre

Srinagar Jan 02: Cautioning against misconstruing the large voter turnout in Assembly elections as the Kashmir problem having disappeared, former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said any overt or covert effort to depoliticise Kashmir would have dangerous fallout.

Addressing mediapersons here this afternoon, first after the National Conference (NC)-Congress agreed to form a coalition government, headed by Mr Omar Abdullah in the state, Mr Sayeed said instead of getting complacent, the centre should seize the moment and revive the Kashmir resolution process with renewed resolve, both on the bilateral and internal fronts. 

The patron of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), second largest party in the 11th house, said people, having rejected violence, have reposed their faith in peaceful and democratic means for the resolution of their problems.

He said this momentous transformation has to be respected and responded with substantive measures by New Delhi.

The country's leadership must now respond to this new opportunity and rejuvenate the Kashmir resolution process with fresh resolve, he said, adding that any overt or covert effort to depoliticise Kashmir would have dangerous fallout.

Mr Sayeed said it is the opportune time for New Delhi to re-initiate an inclusive dialogue process involving various shades of the political opinion in the state to find amicable solution to the state's political and economic problems.

In reply to a question, he said the PDP has laid a clear roadmap for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in its Self-Rule document, which has been endorsed by the people across the state.

Expressing satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of free and fair polls in the state, Mr Sayeed hailed the people for having reposed their faith in the democratic means to seek solution to the state's political and economic problems.

Extending his heartfelt gratitude to the people for reposing their faith in the PDP agenda, Mr Sayeed said it would be PDP's mission to work towards the implementation of its J and K-centric agenda' which clearly illustrates a way forward for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. (UNI)