PDP to field competent candidates in next general elections

With an eye on the upcoming general elections, Jammu and Kashmir's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today said it would reach out to the people with a message of having "credible, honest and articulate" representatives in the Parliament.
"In the past, political setup in the state had not focused on quality of representatives sent to the Parliament who could channelise people's aspirations at the national level," PDP said in a statement after a meeting of its highest policy making body, Political Affairs Committee (PAC), here.
The meeting, chaired by PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, reviewed the prevalent political situation in the state and discussed party affairs in the context of the upcoming general elections.

"It would be in line with the PDP's agenda to resolve the Kashmir-issue through dialogue with the Centre rather than confrontation," the PAC said.
The meeting was of the view that the party should try and field serious and competent candidates to provide a better alternative to voters, it said.
"Cross border initiatives of travel and trade have stagnated at the start and major economic initiatives have been frozen in such a way that even routine allocation of plan funds and their proper utilisation had become an uphill task for the government," the statement said.
While the Chief Minister occasionally raised slogans about dialogue with separatists, on the ground, his government has made them permanent prisoners, PDP said.

"The youth who were looking up to the political system for creation of avenues of growth and employment have been pushed against the wall and alienation has reached alarming proportions," the statement alleged.