‘PC like a home to me, Sajad like my son, could be part of third front’:, Says Muzaffar Baig

Srinagar: Breaking months long silence after the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government, top PDP leader ranked number two of Late mufti Muhammad Sayeed Muzaffar Hussain Beigh Tuesday asked PDP top brass to stop following NC, the way they followed they followed Abdullahs on poll boycott, adding that “Peoples Conference is like a home to me and Sajad Gani Lone like my son.” Alleging that the government in Pakistan is hostage to extremist forces, Beigh said there is no shortcut to dialogue between India and Pakistan on resolution of Kashmir issue.
Addressing a press Conference in Srinagar, Beigh while seeking explanations from NC top brass particularly the two top leaders for boycotting civic polls over an assurance on Article 35-A, regretted that PDP didn’t take him on board on boycott of civic polls, a decision lamely taken by the party the day when he (Beigh) was in Delhi.
Alleging that NC top brass decided to boycott the polls after hostile statements from a party’s senior leader, Beigh said, “Democracy and public connectivity is build up at grass roots and no political party has the right to claim to be a political party if it doesn’t participate in elections.”
About the fall of PDP-BJP government, Beigh said, “I was consulted only for a day when the alliance was to be formed with the BJP in the lifetime of Late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. I told Late Mufti that meeting up minds is very important for making the alliance workable and if the alliance is made workable it could become a model for rest of India.”
About the working of PDP-BJP government, Beigh said PDP failed to deliver on the promises it made to the people during last assembly elections as development deficit was visible on the ground due to non-utilization of funds. The heart goes to unemployed PhD scholars who are unemployed and have become disillusioned. Youth have lost faith in mainstream and as well as Hurriyat as they now speak about Khilafat propagated from Arab and implemented in India and Pakistan.”
Saying that if rigging in 1987 elections won’t have taken place, militancy would not have taken routes in Jammu and Kashmir, Beigh said “Salah-ud-din who contested from Amira Kadal assembly constituency found himself in Shaheed Gunj Police lock-up along with his wife and Yasin Malik his then chief polling agent won’t have been detained along with his sister.”
Alleging that government in Pakistan have not the courage to take hot decisions and reach out to India for a dialogue over Kashmir, Beigh said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached out to former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and met his family just to request for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue but Pathankote spoiled all the ground work done for the resumption of India Pakistan dialogue.”
Saying that it pains him to see young Kashmiri boys and Indian soldiers dying in Kashmir, Beigh said, “Politicians are responsible for this bloodshed.” Saying that PDP was formed to take a route to middle ground after the 70-year-long failure of NC in the state, Beigh said that “I am sorry to say that PDP has failed to take the middle ground route for which it was formed.”
Alleging that he and Tariq Karra were virtually thrown out of state politics after their fielding for the Lok Sabha elections in the year 2014, Beigh said, “If PDP doesn’t take a decision on following NC over major policy decisions, I would be constrained to be part of third front, the formation of which is very much possible in the current political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Apprehending that the politics being played in Jammu and Kashmir may lead to trifurcation of the state, Beigh said, “Kashmir mainstream parties can’t afford to take part in civic elections in Ladakh and Kargil and boycott in Kashmir Valley.”
Asked if he could be part of a third front, emerging under the leadership of PC chairman, Sajjad Gani Lone, Beigh said, “PC is like a home to me and Sajad Lone just like my son. If they come to me and PDP doesn’t take corrective measures I will have no option but to be part of a third front presently shaped by Peoples Conference.”
In reply to a question on election of PDP president, Beigh said, “Last time, a committee was set up to amend the bylaws but the committee didn’t meet even once. People are looking for a change and if PDP doesn’t mend its ways and continues following NC the change would be visible.”