Bijbehara, Jan 07: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said her father and party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed consistently placed the dignity of Kashmiris above political power, even when opportunities to rule were within reach.
Speaking at Bijbehara on the death anniversary of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba went emotional and broke down while recalling her father’s political legacy, pausing several times as she addressed party workers and supporters.
“Here, people often choose power, but my father always chose his people over power,” she said. “I followed Mufti Sahib’s path because I believed he had a foresight that very few leaders in Kashmir possessed.”
She said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed envisioned a Kashmir where people could live with dignity and freely express their views.
“He believed in dialogue and outreach – whether within Kashmir or across the border,” she said.
Mehbooba said she travelled “to every village, forest and mountain” to carry forward her father’s vision.
“People did not understand him then, but today they realise that had he been alive, we would not be in a situation where people are jailed for speaking the truth and dissent is silenced,” she said.
Warning that unemployment and alienation among the youth in Jammu and Kashmir have reached alarming levels, Mehbooba said growing frustration was pushing young people toward despair.
“Our youth feel depressed and disconnected. That frustration is driving some to extreme choices,” she said.
Referring to recent incidents, she cited the Red Fort blast case, saying a doctor from Pulwama died after carrying out the attack, while another man from Qazigund self-immolated following the arrest of his son.
“These are not isolated incidents; they reflect deep despair in society,” she said.
She also said hundreds of Kashmiri youths are lodged in jails both within and outside the Union Territory.
“When I approached courts seeking their transfer to jails in Kashmir and the release of those detained without justification, I was mocked,” she said. “If I do not speak for these poor people, who will?”
Mehbooba launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of remaining silent on issues affecting ordinary people, particularly land acquisition and orchardists.
“He has an absolute majority and representation in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, yet he remains silent on issues that hurt the poor,” she said. “Instead of addressing public concerns, he is focused on attacking the PDP.”
She said the chief minister does not understand the economic and emotional value of land and orchards for poor families.
“Land here means survival. That is why silence on these issues is unacceptable,” she said.
Mehbooba urged the government to ensure employment and rehabilitation for locals before acquiring land for railway and other infrastructure projects.
“Before taking even an inch of land, the government must guarantee jobs for affected families,” she said.
Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, along with PDP leaders and workers, paid tributes to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and offered Fateha Khwani at his ancestral graveyard at Darashikoh garden in Bijbehara town.
