Will ally with any party that accepts Kashmir as dispute: Er Rashid Draws parallels between Aam Aadmi Party and his Awami Itihad Party KHALID GUL Islamabad (Anantnag), Dec 22: Chairman Awami Itihad Party (AIP) and legislature Engineer Abdul Rasheed Sunday said his party was ready to forge alliance with anyone in the upcoming Assembly polls provided it accepts Kashmir as a dispute and holds dialogue with Hurriyat (G) leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Hizb Chief Syed Salahudin. “We are ready to forge alliance or support any political party in the upcoming Assembly elections but that party has to accept Kashmir as a disputed territory and work for its resolution,” Engineer Rasheed said addressing a workers’ convention in Town Hall Islamabad (Anantnag). “The political party from whom we will seek support or provide the same has also to accept our demand of bringing all stakeholders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and indigenous militant leadership- Syed Salahudin- on dialogue table with the State government and New Delhi,” said Rasheed. He said that he was open to coalition with anyone but that will be based on principles. Drawing parallels between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Awami Itihad Party (AIP), Rasheed said that Kashmiris too were striving for change. “Kashmiris are now fed up with the rhetorical politics of National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress, and like the people of Delhi want change,” said Rasheed. “People in Delhi realized the importance of change and gave mandate to AAP,” he said. He said that he has supported AAP for its pro-people manifesto. “We have the same manifesto as AAP, like eradicating corruption and bringing accountability in the system except we want the resolution of Kashmir in accordance with the wishes of people,” said Rasheed. He said that his party will give representation to every area in the upcoming Assembly elections. “We have our base everywhere- North Kashmir, Central Kashmir as well as South Kashmir -and will nominate candidates from everywhere,” said Rasheed. He, however, said that before choosing candidates his party would assess their property details and put it before general public. “We won’t give party ticket to tainted candidates and every one will be accountable,” said Rasheed. Rasheed said that he, unlike NC or PDP, does not believe in double speak. “Whatever I speak in the public I put the same in Assembly,” he said. He said that people can better judge the achievements of his party in Langate constituency. “I have been nominated from Langate and I have been working alongside people there and trying my best to solve their miseries. Not a single person has been booked under draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) in my constituency except one who was a timber smuggler,” said Rasheed. Condemning the re-induction of MLA Kishtwar Sajad Kichloo into the council of ministers, Rasheed termed it as vote bank politics. “Kichloo has no moral right to be a minister but in order to secure its vote bank in Jammu, Congress wants to stabilize relations with NC and hence got him re-inducted,” said Rasheed. He said that both Congress and BJP are doing petty politics to strengthen their position for the upcoming parliamentary elections and were using Kashmir as a battlefield. “I warn them against making our State a battlefield and instead confine their politics to New Delhi,” Rasheed said. Coming down heavily on NC and PDP, Rasheed said that they don’t hold any moral right to have alliance with Congress after the remarks of Congress leaders saying that Autonomy and Self-Rule are roads towards destruction. “It is high time that PDP and NC should either come out of the dynasty politics and make revolutionary practicable changes in their hallow manifestos or people will say good bye to them and back a leadership that feels their pain,” said Rasheed. He said that since chances of NC and PDP joining hands seem almost impossible, therefore people of the State should give a chance to AIP which promises not only turning their dreams but political aspirations and desire for best governance into reality but will also end the VIP culture. “Both NC and PDP have failed to end the miseries faced by the common people and have also left no stone unturned in diluting the real problem of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Rasheed. He further alleged that while in 2002 NC tried to block PDP’s path by crying urban-rural divide, the same is being repeated by PDP now to block the entry of AIP by creating North-South divide. “People are wise enough to foil their nefarious designs,” said Rasheed. Others who addressed the convention included Tanveer Hussain Khan, State Secretary AIP; Advocate Abdul Rashid Dar, Advocate Mujeeb- u-Rehman and district president Kulgam Dr Baari Naik. On the occasion Advocate Mujeeb- u-Rehmaan, social worker Bashir Ahmad Toukal and many others joined AIP.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:35:49 +0000
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