Ruling PDP government on Saturday thanked coalition partner for “support” in Kathua rape and murder and termed it as “confidence-building measure”. Today a meeting of the party was held under the chairmanship of Party President and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The meeting was attended by all PDP ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other senior leaders of the party.
“We took a review of the overall situation. We discussed what we gained, what we lost during three years of coalition with BJP,” Senior PDP leader and the government spokesman, Naeem Akhtar told reporters after the meeting. “We appreciate BJP for support, PM, Home Minister, Amit Shah and Ram Madhav ji. They have taken resignation from two ministers whose role according to media has not been positive. It is in itself a confidence-building measure and if PDP and BJP keep on resolving issues in the same manner, there won’t be any substitute to this alliance,” he said. Flanked by PDP spokesman Rafi Ahmad Mir and others, Naeem said:
“We feel that the party will fail in its duty if we don’t express our gratitude to entire people of our great country, members of civil society and media of our country. We expect the same response of the country irrespective of the party affiliation, irrespective of ideological affiliations, to other wounds, the uncertainty in our youth, the issues of our youth, the political issues will be looked in from humanitarian angle and entire nation gets together and help heal our wounds and support our government.” He added: “Our party wants J&K that the renewed emotional bound that has got created between J&K and country because of Asifa.
We want that the way entire country has identified with us, this bound gets strengthened. The people in our country need to realize that ghosts and enemies don’t live in Kashmir we can take the process of reconciliation forward.” Asked about the time frame in the culmination of trial, the works minister said: “We will try to seek justice for Asifa as soon as possible and that perpetrator are punished. Our state will also bring a law for capital punishment to those raping children.” Regarding demands shifting of the case from Kathua, he said: “The case is monitored by Jammu and Kashmir high court and if the need is felt, the state in coordination with the high court will take all measures for uninterrupted and unobstructed justice in the case. We also appreciate the way the investigation has been conducted.”