Economist Drabu joins PDP ahead of J&K Assembly polls

He said, 'I want to leave the perch of punditry and slug it out in noise and chaos of politics'

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party today received a shot in the arm with noted economist Haseeb A Drabu joining the party here, ahead of upcoming Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Drabu was welcomed into the PDP fold by party patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after he (Drabu) wrote a letter to party president Mehbooba Mufti about his wish to join the party, a PDP spokesman said.

Giving the context of his joining the politics, Drabu wrote, "I want to leave the perch of punditry and slug it out in noise and chaos of politics. I have earlier had the occasion to work with and for the people of J&K. Not only was it professionally an absolute privilege but also personally it was by a long way most satisfying."

"I want to participate and, to the extent that I can, contribute, to this overall change by working within aegis of the PDP. I do hope you will provide me the opportunity to do so," Drabu wrote.

Welcoming the entry of Drabu, Sayeed said the entry of professionals like Drabu into the PDP indicates the positive impact his party has made among the intelligentia in the state.

Sayeed said politics provides the best instrument to serve the people and bring change in their lives, as established by the PDP in its brief tenure in power.

"Drabu had ably assisted the state in its post 2002 economic reconstruction and financial restructuring and had played an important role in all major economic initiatives like the Prime Minister's reconstruction programme, ADB financing and establishment of ERA," he said.

Drabu has been associated with Sayeed since 2003 when as the Chief Minister, he appointed him as the Economic Adviser to the government with the rank of a minister of state.

Drabu was appointed as the Chairman of J&K Bank in June 2014 and continued to serve it till June 2010.