Srinagar:Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the way newspapers, journalists and businessmen are hounded looks nothing less than a witch hunt.
It was stated during a one day workers’ convention of the was held on Friday in Srinagar’s Batamaloo constituency in which party’s senior leadership highlighted its mission and underlined the need for stronger PDP to safeguard Kashmir’s core interests.
Chaired by PDP Vice President Abdul Rahman Veeri, others who attended the convention included the party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, PDP’s Srinagar District President Mohammad Khurshid Alam, state secretary and former MLA Batamaloo Noor Mohammad Sheikh.
Veeri in his address highlighted how the PDP in state’s political landscape emerged as the best alternative to despotic and anarchic rule and provided a platform to a common man to seek resolution of his grievances.
He said that in spite of being in coalition with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP safeguarded the interests of Jammu and Kashmir under the very challenging circumstances. He said as head of the coalition government, Mehbooba Mufti always advocated for dialogue with stakeholders and made earnest efforts to bring lasting peace in the state.
The PDP Vice President asked the party supporters to highlight the achievements of the party which in spite of trying circumstances was able to uphold its principles and didn’t compromise on its ideology. Party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura in his address flayed the NIA raids and constant highway closure in the state, terming such measures bizarre and deeply disturbing for common masses who have been riddled already by the 30 year long bodied conflict.
He said the business community is made to reel under distress due to the highway closure with students, patients and employees made to suffer sadistically for no reason. Hanjura added that the way newspapers, journalists and businessmen are hounded looks nothing less than a witch hunt and such steps instead of helping to find solution to the problems confronting the state, will further complicate the situation.
Party’s Srinagar District President for Srinagar Mohammad Khurshid Alam said that Kashmir is a human issue that merits human approach. The situation, according to Alam should not be looked through the prism of security and that people at the helm in GOI must own the sufferings of the people and invest in peace to end decades long conflict.
Other PDP leaders who took part in the convention include Abdul Hameed Kosheen, Dr Ali Mohammad, Zone President Batamaloo Bashir Ahmad, Arif Laigaroo, Abdul Qayoom, Haji Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Tousif Ahmad, Muzaffar Ahmad, Shahzad Ahmad, Fancy Jan, Ghulam Nabi and several others.