Centre achieving peace through repression, jails, and UAPA in Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti in Budgam

• Seeks support for Youth President Waheed Parra
  

SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) organized a massive public meeting on Wednesday in the Chadoora constituency of Budgam district. The public rally was addressed by the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, to galvanize support for the party youth president and parliamentary candidate for the Srinagar-Pulwama parliamentary constituency, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra. The party's senior leader, Mohammad Yaseen Bhat, along with several other party functionaries, were present on the occasion. Hundreds of people gathered and attended the party rally.

Addressing the rally, party president Mehbooba Mufti said that the PDP is fighting for the future of our younger generations and the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She stated that the PDP is targeted because it stood with the people and voiced their aspirations. "Our party was targeted, our leaders were grilled, raided, and the party was broken using different tactics, but people like Waheed, besides thousands of our workers, stood like a rock and didn't bow down," Mufti said.

Mufti further said that the Centre is using different tactics, including jail repression and other draconian laws like UAPA in Kashmir and other fake narratives to achieve peace in Kashmir and efforts on a daily basis to disempower the people of Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. "Since 2019, after the illegal abrogation of Article 370, not a day passes when a farmaan isn’t issued in Delhi to disempower & dispossess the people of Jammu and Kashmir," she said. "PDP has fought this onslaught against our rights, resources, and identity and will continue doing so in a peaceful, democratic manner."

Mehbooba urged people to recognize the gravity of the situation and vote for a party that will fearlessly voice concerns related to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She promised that the party will represent the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir if mandated in the coming elections, adding that she will raise people's issues inside the Parliament.

Addressing the public meeting, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra said that the youth are emerging as the party’s greatest strength as they see their aspirations and concerns being adequately accommodated in PDP’s pro-people agenda. Kashmir's youth have to play a crucial role in shaping up a politically emancipated and economically vibrant future for Jammu and Kashmir, and they see PDP as the most appropriate platform to realize that dream, Parra said while addressing a party workers’ convention in Chadoora.

Parra added that the youth need to break the silence this time and vote in large numbers. "We are not against the narrative of peace that the government is claiming, but achieving peace through the lens of jails and the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) is deeply concerning. Genuine peace should be built on dialogue, understanding, and justice."

Drawing from his personal experience of spending two years in incarceration, Parra empathetically voiced his solidarity with the incarcerated youth, emphasizing their plight and the necessity of amplifying their voices on a national platform. He further stated that he would draw the attention of the government in power to address the genuine aspirations of the people and to grant amnesty to youth and students so that they could live a normal and dignified life.