NDA's biggest challenge dealing with Kashmir issue: Mufti

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP leader Mufti Muhammad Sayeed Monday said dealing with the sensitive issue related to his state was the biggest challenge faced by the Narendra Modi-led central government.

"The PDP is ready to act as a facilitator to restore lasting peace in this subcontinent as the biggest challenge before the new government at New Delhi is to deal with the sensitive issue of Jammu and Kashmir," Sayeed said at a public rally in Poonch.

The Peoples Democratic Party leader hoped that Modi's government would follow the holistic path shown by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajapyee while dealing with problems of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sayeed said peace was the only option for development and resolution of all sensitive issues.

Emphasizing on adopting a human approach to restoring lasting peace in the region, the PDP patron regretted that residents of Jammu and Kashmir were facing hardships due to misgovernance of the present National Conference-led regime.

"What is a cause of a greater worry is the erosion of credibility of our democratic institutions," he said.

He said governance deficit and trust deficit were the main causes of the ever-increasing alienation of the people, and there was a need to restore people's faith in governance and democracy.

"PDP is committed to bridge the gap between different regions and also between people of Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country," Sayeed said.

"During our tenure, we had shown how to treat all regions equally and the party would further facilitate the process of bridging the gap to ensure justice and equality to all regions," he said.

Sayeed said the National Conference was completely washed out in the whole state in the Lok Sabha polls.

"Our aim is not to attain power by deceiving the people," he said.

On making Poonch the "gateway to Kashmir", he said the opening of the Mughal road and the Line of Control for trade was going to change the destiny of the people of Poonch.