PDP welcomes PM's remarks on Kashmir; Cong says it came too

Jammu and Kashmir's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the Kashmir situation and expressed hope that it would mark a fresh beginning in a sustained dialogue process to address the issues.
"We welcome the Prime Minister's intervention and hope that it will mark a fresh beginning in a sustained dialogue process for addressing the issues confronted by the state," senior PDP leader and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said.
Akhtar, who is also the spokesman of the PDP-BJP government in the state, said while similar initiatives in 2008 and 2010 were not carried forward, they expected that the Prime Minister's initiative on dialogue will be taken ahead.

"We want the dialogue process to continue. We want it to gain momentum even when the present crises are resolved and things return to normalcy in the coming days," he said.
The Prime Minister's statement would help in a long way to make things better in Kashmir and pacify the people's anger, he said.
Akhtar said his party believed that dialogue is the only way to get Kashmir out of this crisis and allow its people to witness peaceful times.

"We have always strived for the resumption of the dialogue process to get things back in order. It has been our long pending demand. We want dialogue to take place in the most conducive manner," he said.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress said the Prime Minister's intervention on Kashmir situation was "late".
"The Congress expects the Prime Minister to respond to the debate and discussion being held tomorrow in Parliament. Finally, the Prime Minister spoke on Kashmir, but it is late.
"We feel that Prime Minister should have spoken on the current unrest early, besides expressing sympathies and his concern for the people of Kashmir," a state Congress spokesperson said in a statement.
"The Prime Minister should also have spoken on the agenda of alliance between his party (BJP) and the PDP, besides assuring that the agenda of alliance finalised at the time of formation of the government in the state would be implemented in letter and spirit, besides ensuring an atmosphere of friendship between the Centre and the people of Kashmir," the Congress leader said.

Controversial Independent legislator Sheikh Abdul Rasheed
said the Prime Minister's statement on Kashmir has rendered the people of the valley "hopeless" and questioned former PM A B Vajpayee's "Jamhuriyat, Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat" narrative.
"Modi's speech has rendered Kashmiris hopeless and it has no takers," Rasheed, who heads Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), said in a statement here.
The legislator from the Langate constituency of Kupwara district said, "Kashmiris were not waiting all these days to listen from Modi that India enjoys Aazadi and Kashmiris can also enjoy it."
He said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and others hailing Vajpayee should tell the people of Jammu and Kashmir what was Vajpayee's solution to the Kashmir dispute and what he meant by saying "Jamhuriyat, Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat".

"Political parties should first decide in New Delhi what they have to offer to Kashmiris if they come here for talks and if they just want to bail out India by simply requesting Kashmiris to help in returning normalcy without discussing concrete proposals for talks to resolve the dispute in light of its historic perspective, then nobody is ready to receive them," Rasheed said.