Srinagar, September 19
The People’s Democratic Party has blamed the government for trying to sabotage the purpose of all-party delegation, scheduled to come here tomorrow, by imposing strict curfew restrictions that would “prevent many people from meeting the visiting delegation”.

Addressing mediapersons here today, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said under the situation created by the government, the visit would “not serve any purpose”. She threatened to reconsider her party’s decision to meet the delegation under such circumstances. Mehbooba held that there was need to facilitate the meetings of other leaders, legislators, and representatives of the civil society. “If the siege remains like this, we will consider our participation,” she declared, adding that the government was bent upon sabotaging the meeting.

Mehbooba, after attending the all-party meeting in Delhi, held that the impression about the prevailing situation outside the state was that trouble had been created by “miscreants or forces from across the border” and the government had nothing to do with it. Asserting that her party had tried to “dispel this impression”, the PDP president pointed out that life was miserable for the people of Kashmir.

Replying to questions, Mehbooba said people had been alienated and there was no way out. “The government has only been able to survive and not function” during the past three months of trouble during which more than 100 people had been killed. She pointed out that the present turmoil was “mass anger” and transfer of power would not resolve the issue. She said the PDP-Congress coalition government had restored the confidence of people.

The state government, she said, seemed to have launched an economic blockade against the people of Kashmir and had created a war-like situation. She lamented that 72-hour curfew restrictions were in force despite the fact that there was no call for a protest from the APHC-led by Syed Ali Geelani. Even farmers and fruit growers from the valley were being prevented from carrying out harvest activities. Even funeral processions were being fired upon, people were getting beaten up, and supply of medicines to hospitals was not being allowed, she lamented.

Senior party legislators Sartaj Madni, who is also Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Mohammad Dilawar Mir were also present.

Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said the statement of the PDP president that the government was sabotaging the all-party meet in the Valley was concocted, baseless and a figment of her imagination.