- Asks state FM to withdraw statement that goes against party’s agenda
- Explanation sought
Two days after state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said “Kashmir should not be seen as a political problem,” his party today hit out at him saying that J&K was a political problem and its resolution formed the PDP’s core agenda.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s uncle and party’s second in command Sartaj Madni asked senior PDP minister Drabu, credited with forging party’s alliance with the BJP in 2015, to “retract the statement immediately if it has been reported correctly in the media”.
Party vice-president Madni also advised all senior leaders of the party to be careful while issuing statements and making observations on the basic political philosophy and core agenda of the party.
“It is unfortunate that the problem is seen by some forces in the subcontinent as a mere management assignment to contain people’s aspirations and the resolution commitment is being aimlessly undermined,” Madni said in a statement. “The PDP feels highly perturbed at the obvious lack of urgency in resolving this issue and reiterates its commitment to uphold the party’s stated objectives in which the resolution of the political issue has paramount importance.”
At a function in New Delhi on Friday, Drabu was quoted as having said “Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem but as a society with social issues”. Drabu’s assertions evoked sharp criticism from the opposition National Conference and separatist leader Yasin Malik.
Madni said ever since the PDP was formed, it had relentlessly pursued the Kashmir resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.
Recalling the vision of party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Madni said the resolution of the Kashmir problem formed the core of his struggle and sacrifices.
“Any impression of the political issue getting under the carpet can have a very negative impact and can spin the situation into another cycle of destabilisation in the region. In such a scenario, the sufferings of the state’s people will immensely compound and the upcoming generation will move out of the space of reconciliation,” he said.
The PDP vice-president said after the fractured election mandate of 2014, the party entered into an alliance based on an agenda towards seeking a national reconciliation on J&K, besides catalysing reconciliation and confidence-building within and across the Line of Control.
Madni said the PDP was committed to pushing its agenda for peaceful and dignified resolution of the Kashmir problem which alone would lessen the tension in the region and release huge financial resources of the two countries for development of their economies.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party disciplinary committee chairman Abdul Rehman Veeri has asked Haseeb Drabu to explain the statement “attributed to him on the Kashmir issue.”
