'Legislatures have larger role in resolving Kashmir issue'

Addressing a function at the PDP headquarter in Jammu, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today (February 5) called its present legislatures to address the Kashmir issue with a fresh approach. "We have to set up a new discourse for Kashmir resolution in the changed scenario," he said.

The Peoples Democratic Party Patron said that with a substantial public mandate, the current legislature shall have to pilot the Kashmir resolution issue with moral authority.

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"The present legislature will have a historic role to play in facilitating amicable and permanent settlement of the Kashmir issue to end the protracted instability in the State and the region," he said.

The resolution process needs a fresh approach to address both the internal and external dimensions of the Kashmir issue in which the State’s elected representatives have to play a constructive role involving all the concerned parties.

Mufti said the present assembly is the most representative of all shades of opinion as it represents regions, communities and sub-regions. "All the members of the new assembly have a genuine mandate except perhaps those coming from areas where unfortunately people chose not to vote in good numbers," he said and added that the voice of this House cannot be ignored as it is having not just the legal and constitutional validity but moral authority as well to speak on behalf of the State and its people.

"While India and Pakistan will have to address the bilateral dimensions of the problem, the Government of India shall have to move fast on addressing the internal dimensions of the issue by reaching out to the people of Jammu & Kashmir with reconciliatory confidence building measures," Sayeed said.

Crediting his party for creating a new space within the democratic system for the resolution of the Kashmir problem, Sayeed said the PDP's J&K-specific regional agenda and its Self-Rule formula have got the public approval during the recent elections and the party would move ahead with fresh resolve to seek an end to the political and economic miseries of the State and its people.

The function was organised to greet some new but prominent political figures of the region who had recently joined the party. They include Shahzad Khan, an independent candidate from Rajouri; Captain Raj Kumar, BSP candidate from Kalakote, and Sagar Chand, ex-MLA Kathua.