Want peace with dignity, not like the silence of graveyards: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Aug 21 (PTI) PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday claimed that Jammu and Kashmir is going through a “difficult phase” for the last five years — since the abrogation of Article 370 — and said her party wants peace with dignity and not like the “silence of graveyards”.

She made the remarks at a function at the PDP headquarters here, during which former Rajouri MLA Chaudhary Qamar Hussain rejoined the party.

In 2020, Hussain and five other PDP leaders were expelled by the party for meeting the Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor and a delegation of foreign envoys in Srinagar.

Hussain had then joined the former J-K minister Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party.

“I welcome Chaudhary to the party. I am happy that he has come back to the party,” Mehbooba said.

She said not just the PDP but the whole of Jammu and Kashmir has been going through a “difficult phase” for the last five years.

“The situation is such that we cannot raise our voice, there is fear everywhere. In such a scenario, when new people join us and strengthen our party, it strengthens the voice of the people of J-K,” Mehbooba, a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, said.

The PDP chief said her party wants peace, “not the silence of graveyards but peace with dignity”.

In a separate function, the PDP also welcomed Zaffar Ahmad Mir from Lasjan Srinagar and Javid Iqbal Ganie from Palhalan Pattan to the party.