Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti vowed on Tuesday to continue raising the Kashmir issue until it is “resurrected.”
Speaking at an election rally in Pulwama ahead of the first phase of elections on September 18, she criticised rival parties for focusing only on infrastructure. Mufti emphasised the need to be the voice for youth, widows, and orphans affected by the conflict, insisting that the Kashmir issue is alive as long as martyrs lie in graveyards and families remain affected.
She also commented on candidates backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, stating that the “real Jamaat” remains imprisoned, with their members facing government crackdowns. Mufti urged New Delhi to lift the ban on the Jamaat if they genuinely want it to participate in the democratic process, stating that threats from investigative agencies like the NIA and ED will not succeed.
Mufti praised the people of South Kashmir, particularly Pulwama, for bringing political change in 2002 by electing PDP, which she credited with curbing suppression and abolishing harsh laws like POTA. She highlighted her party’s contributions, such as the establishment of an Islamic University and AIIMS in Pulwama, and called on voters to support PDP as an alternative to other parties seeking power at any cost.
