Mehbooba wise enough to handle responsibilities: Mufti Sayeed

Is Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti readying to take over reins of power from her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and become the next chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir?

“I will not give up and pursue PM Modi to have reconciliation with Pakistan, which is my dream”, Mufti said adding reconciliation with neighbouring country is an agenda of his government but the coalition can not force it on the Modi government.

We have done well on most indicators and now that the development package has been announced, we will move in fast-track to create durable assets, besides providing succor to flood victims and security and welfare to displaced persons, Mufti added. Everything is an evolutionary process…

“Mehbooba is mature enough to handle responsibilities”.

He said he had personally discussed with PM regarding reconciliation with Pakistan, its effects on Kashmir and efforts of Vajpayee Government. I have high hope on that.

“Modi is not under any pressure to talk about Pakistan”, the PDP leader said at a press conference here when asked why he termed the Prime Minister’s rally in Srinagar on November 7 as “historic” even though he did not talk about reconciliation with Pakistan.

“Defending his decision to ally with BJP, Mufti said people are satisfied with it”.

The PDP chief was replying to a volley of questions on the Prime Minister’s rally in Srinagar. But he is PM of the country.

Referring to the difficulties countenanced by fruit growers in increasing shelf-life of Kashmir apple, Mufti Sayeed said the trial test by SKUAST would provide an insight into how useful 1-MCP will be in prolonging the shelf life of fruit, in particular, apple.

He, however said, it is not necessary that PM accepts all his demands. (But) why should we make Prime Minister say everything like that (talk about reconciliation with Pakistan)?

On the issue of improving road connectivity in the state, the chief minister described the package announced by Narendra Modi as a continuation of what former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did in his tenure as a Prime Minister when he had announced the North-South and East-West corridors to connect the national highways.

Although the PDP-headed government in alliance with BJP is functioning smoothly in the state and aiming to provide good governance, difference of opinion may appear in the days to come.

Advocating Indias relations with Pakistan, the Chief Minister said dialogue with Pakistan is an ongoing process. However, there has been no official confirmation about the transition of power in the state until Friday when Mufti dropped enough of hints of possible transition of power.