Mehbooba Mufti Doesn't Rule Out Tie-up With Congress and NC, Says 'Future Depends on Common Agenda'

New Delhi: Without ruling out the possibility of a tie-up with National Conference and Congress, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that her party's agenda was foremost before entering into an alliance.

"All parties have their own agenda, and so does PDP. Even in the future, agenda of a party would be kept above the political outfits," former J&K chief minister told News18.

Elaborating the party's agenda, Mufti said, "Talking to Pakistan and Hurriyat, not tampering with special status to Jammu and Kashmir, a proper channel for talks between India and Pakistan, Army should move out of civil areas once situation improves and repealing AFSPA is on our agenda." She said that the party's future course of action will depend on fulfillment and solutions to these key issues.

The former CM alleged that some BJP workers were trying to create rift within PDP, Congress and NC to form a third party government. However, she was quick to clarify that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a part of it.

Further, heaping praises on Satyapal Malik, Mufti said that he is the first governor to not have listened to Delhi, and followed his self-righteousness. "Till now, all governors have done what was instructed to them from Delhi, creating tensions in the state," she said.

The PDP chief also welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer on opening several shrines, including Sharada Peeth, to devotees from India, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi should consider the offer.

"Great initiative of offering peace through these channels. PM Narendra Modi ji should consider the offer by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for opening of Sharada Peeth in Kashmir, Katasraj and other shrines too. This will certainly bridge the gap and usher peace in region," Mufti said.

Her reaction came in response to Khan's interaction with Indian journalists, in which he reportedly said, "We can consider other proposals including opening up travel for the Sharada Peeth in Kashmir, Katasraj and other Hindu shrines too."

Talking about the Kartarpur Corridor, the PDP chief said that it could be a "new beginning" of reconciliation between India and Pakistan and called for facilitation of bilateral trade and people to people contact to make borders "irrelevant".

Mufti criticised media reports claiming that the initiative could facilitate the Khalistan agenda — the demand for a separate Sikh homeland — in India. "It is quite amusing how some TV channels are trying to distort a gesture like Kartarpur into some kind of conspiracy to create Khalistan. One fails to understand why allowing people pilgrimage to Guru Nanak Dev ji's birth place would assume such undertones," she said.