‘Only Time Can Tell’ About Govt Formation: Mehbooba

The PDP chief said her father was asked if the decision to ally with the BJP could impact on the PDP as it would suffer losses.

The two coalition partners, the BJP and the PDP, are reportedly inching closer through backchannel talks to form the government. “I have faith in my father’s decision… but I will safeguard the interests of J&K as well as of the country”, Ms. Mufti said. Mehbooba said she would take over as chief minister of J&K if it brought peace to J&K and the state will act as a bridge between India and Pakistan.

“Yes, it was sacrifice on part of my father but he would never make U-turns”, she asserted adding, “My father never ran after power and chair”.

“Then this chair is worth it”.

However, the senior leaders from both the parties claimed that their alliance continued without forming the government in the state. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s inheritance is so large than it can not fit in the chair.

Condemning the terrorist attack in Pampore town, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today said gun is not the solution to political problems which can be resolved through dialogue and reconciliation. The decision to align with the BJP, Mehbooba said, was a huge sacrifice, on behalf of Mufti, for betterment of people and to keep the state intact.

“Even in the hospital, he asked me if the money for flood victims has been released (by the Centre), whether the work on additional accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits at Sheikhpura had been started… when I told him that Prime Minister Modi had visited Pakistan”, he just smiled.

She said, “The Parliament session is starting on February 23”.

Training guns at National Conference and its founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and citing her father as an integrationist, Mehbooba said that Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah took a decision in 1947 for having accession with India but later he couldn’t remain steadfast on it.

Mehbooba said Sayeed wanted Indian-administered-Kashmir to become a bridge between India and Pakistan.

“The inheritance of my father is not the chair”.

“You should understand why he (Sayeed) created the PDP”.

She said, “I’ve been listening for last one and a half months about government formation but I want to tell all of them that if the mission, vision and agenda of Mufti Sahib are taken forward, government formation will take no time”.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addresses party workers in Srinagar.