Mehbooba Mufti re-elected president of PDP, dares police to arrest her

Former Chief Minister and People’s Democracy Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday was re-elected unanimously as the party chief in the election process of her party for another three years.

While talking to the media on the sidelines of her re-election, Mehbooba said that if police and security agencies are sure that “I am instigating youth to go for violence, they must do their duty and arrest me”.

She was reacting to the recent press conference held by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, who after the shootout at Srinagar Airport Road near Baghat said that police will not hesitate to book and arrest all those politicians who are instigating youth and growing catalysts for violence.

“Let IGP Kashmir do his duty. I will do my job the way I am doing. If the police wants to arrest me for what I am doing, so be it,” Mehbooba said on Monday at her Gupkar residence in Srinagar.

While defending her recent utterances about dialogue with Pakistan and restoration of article 370, Mehbooba said that she is only moving with the party agenda and the vision they have for the future of Jammu and Kashmir. “I want to see the end to the sufferings of people that include denial of the body of a slain son to his father. I won’t allow Kashmir to be the punching bag between India and Pakistan and instead Kashmir should become a bridge of peace between the two nations. Dialogue is the best way to resolve issues”, she said.

Meanwhile the PDP party in a tweet on Monday said that Mehbooba was elected as the president of the party for three years. PDP in its tweet on its official handle said, “Mehbooba Mufti unanimously re-elected as @jkpdp president for a period of three years. Her name was proposed by senior leaders Mr G N L Hanjura and seconded by Mr Khurshid Alam. Senior leader Mr A R Veeri was the chairman of the party election board”.