'People's sentiments not to bebatered with electoral returns'
Opening of Sgr-Muzaffarabad road human issue, not political agenda: Mufti KT NEWS SERVICE Langet (Handwara), April 6- Maintaining that the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road involves sentiments of people that can not be bartered with electoral returns, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said his People's Democratic Party does not want any political dividend out of it.
"It is a human issue and we look at it from that angle", Mufti Sayeed said while addressing public meetings at far flung Haril and Krala Gund in north Kashmir district of Kupwara today.
The largely attended public meetings were the first addressed by Chief Minister after the announcement of Lok Sabha polls recently.
Mufti Sayeed said that the sentiments of people on either side of the LoC were attached with Muzaffarabad road whose opening would revive emotional bonds severed 57 years ago.
He said by advocating the restoration of the road PDP was not working on any political agenda.
The closure of the road in 1947 had left divided families on both sides high and dry giving birth to a serious human problem, he said adding, for decades blood relations have been craving for meeting each other while thousands perished without realizing their dream.
Beseeching free movement across LoC, the Chief Minister said this would not only bring people closer but also lead to brisk economic activity in Kashmir.
He said the opening of the Muzaffarabad road was fast becoming a reality with both India and Pakistan realizing this to be a significant confidence building measure for achieving lasting peace between the two countries.
He said the day was not far away when Uri, like Wagah, would be an important point for two-day movement of people and goods.
Complimenting people for their historic verdict in 2002 assembly polls, bringing his party to power in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said his government vigorously pursued the commitments made to the people, generating new hope for peace and development.
He said the healing touch philosophy to wipe the tears of the victims of violence had been acclaimed both nationally and internationally.
"Violence and bloodshed have ruined thousands of families and our priority is to bring people out of this precarious situation", he said and referred to the measures taken by the government to instill sense of security and confidence among the people.
He said one of the major achievements of his government was to remove fear from the minds of people by providing them a relaxed atmosphere.
He said human rights violations had come down to a near zero level and wherever any aberration took place the guilty were dealt with according to law.
The element of accountability had brought home the fact to the security personnel that human rights violations would not go unpunished, he said and added that his government did not invoke the dreaded POTA and disbanded the Special Operations Group against which there were allegations of torture and coercion.
Seeking mandate of the people for the PDP candidates in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections on the basis of his party's people-friendly policies, Mufti Sayeed said that once elected they would be their effective voice in Parliament.
"If you think our policies are good, cast your vote in favour of our candidates", he said adding that he did not believe in hollow slogans and rhetoric.
He regretted that the previous members of Parliament from the state had not represented people effectively.
"Give us a chance and we will make the difference", he added.
Holding that the process of dialogue, initiated to address both internal and external dimensions of Kashmir problem, had brought about a positive change in the situation, the Chief Minister credited the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the success of this forward movement.
He said the people's yearning for peace and normal life was excessively evident from their abhorrence of violence and blood spilling.
The change in the mindset of people led to the initiation of the peace process.
He said both India and Pakistan had realized that amity and friendship had no alternative for mutual co-existence.
The two countries, he said had tried the military option to resolve differences but reached nowhere.
The option of dialogue and discourse was now being tried, he added and hoped that this would bring a lasting peace in the region benefiting the people of Jammu and Kashmir the most.
The Chief Minister hailed the two successful rounds of dialogue between the Centre and All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) saying that holding of talks reflected the political foresight of the two sides.
He hoped that other groups who have so far distanced themselves from this process would soon join in.
"By doing so, they will be only respecting the wishes of the people", he said.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people of Baramulla and Kupwara districts to come out in large numbers on the polling day and vote for the PDP candidate, Mr.
Nizamuddin Bhat whom he described as an honest man and able lawyer who would efficiently plead their case in the Parliament.
The meetings were also addressed by senior PDP leader and Minister for Tourism, Mr.
Ghulam Hassan Mir and Mr.
Nazim-ud-Din Bhat, the PDP candidate for Baramulla constituency.
Mir said that the main reason behind the formation of the PDP was to provide a platform to the people of the state especially the ruralites for expressing their sentiments.
He said the party advocated dialogue with separatist organizations when even thinking so was considered blasphemous but now not the entire country but the whole world had endorsed our stand.
In his address, Nizamuddin Bhat said that the steps taken by the Mufti Sayeed led government to find solution to serious problems through discourse have yielded positive results.
He regretted that the previous governments were creating hurdles in the way of dialogue process.
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