Mehbooba not to contest J-K polls

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said she will not contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir pointing out that she would not be able to fulfil her partys agenda in the union territory set up even if she were to become the chief ministerI have been chief minister of a government with the BJP which revoked FIRs against 12000 persons in 2016 Can we do that now I as the chief minister of a government with PM Modi wrote a letter to separatists to invite them for talks Can you do that today I got a ceasefire implemented on the ground Can you do that today If you cannot take back an FIR as chief minister what does one do with such a post she saidThe PDP president was asked if she has had a change of heart on contesting the polls after vice president of archrival National Conference Omar Abdullah made a Uturn on his stand of not participating in the polls till Jammu and Kashmir was a union territoryOmar himself said that he will have to be at the door of the lieutenant governor for transfer of a peon I am not bothered about the transfer of the peon but can we implement our agenda the former chief minister saidOmar Abdullah who had vowed not to take part in assembly polls till Jammu and Kashmir remained a union territory was among 32 candidates named by the party on TuesdayThe former chief minister will contest polls from Ganderbal where he had won in 2008On the alliance between the National Conference and Congress for Jammu and Kashmir polls the PDP president said the two parties have always come together just for the sake of powerWhen we entered into an alliance with Congress in 2002 we had an agenda We released Syed Ali Geelani from jail Can you think of doing it today When we allied with the BJP government in 2014 we had an agenda of alliance in which we had it in writing that Article 370 would not be touched AFSPA to be revoked talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat return of power projects etc We had an agenda However when Congress and NC form an alliance it is for power she addedOn the possibility of Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla Sheikh Abdul Rashid and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah being released from jail ahead of the polls she said it would be a good developmentShe urged the government to consider releasing even those lesserknown people who are entitled to bail but have been denied itIt is very good I say that you can put a person in jail but you cannot imprison the ideas Democracy is a battle of ideas It has been delayed but Engineer Rashid and Shabir Shah should be released along with all those languishing in jails who are entitled to bail but are not even getting that reliefThe government has been saying time and again that they want to start a process of reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir I tell them to open the doors of the jails and the process of reconciliation will start she addedMehbooba said the PDP is fighting for a bigger cause as it is the only party which implements its agenda after coming to powerIn 2002 we said we would repeal POTA and we did it We said we will open crossLoC routes and we did it We said we would facilitate talks and we did it with the Hurriyat Conference We follow our agenda and even today our agenda is that there is an issue which cannot be resolved without addressing it And restoration of Article 370 is also important for resolution of this issueWe have always fought alone based on the support of people and for addressing the problems of the people she saidLater two budding politicians joined the PDP in presence of the PDP presidentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever