Mehbooba Mufti re-elected as PDP chief; wants J&K as 'bridge of peace' between India & Pak

In a key development on Monday, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was re-elected as the president of PDP for a term of three years. While her name was proposed by GNL Hanjura and seconded by Khurshid Alam, senior party leader Surinder Chaudhary was the Returning Officer for the election. She was elected as the PDP chief for the first time after her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away in January 2016. Speaking to the media after her re-election, Mufti acknowledged that she had a tough task at hand as there are many challenges in the J&K at present. Maintaining that PDP's aim is to improve the condition of J&K, she expressed hope that that the Union Territory will serve as a "bridge of peace" between India and Pakistan. 

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti remarked, "I am cognizant of the responsibility given to me for my party workers because our situation is very different and difficult at present. There are many challenges before the state. PDP was born to improve the condition of Jammu and Kashmir."

Read: 25 PDP Netas In Key Positions Unhappy; Fearing Split, Mehbooba Mufti Calls Urgent Meeting

Mufti's detention & subsequent problems

Former CM Mehbooba Mufti was detained on August 5, 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated. Thereafter, she was booked under the Public Safety Act. While she was shifted to her Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar which was designated as a subsidiary jail by the J&K administration in April, her detention under the PSA was extended on May 5 and July 31. Though her daughter Iltija Mufti had moved the Supreme Court in February 2020 seeking the PDP chief's release, the matter was not listed for many months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Mufti was released on October 13, 2020, barely a few weeks after the apex court commenced hearing the habeas corpus case. 

Subsequently, PDP became a part of the People's Declaration for Gupkar Alliance and she was elected as the vice president of this coalition. However, differences within her party emerged after her categorical assertion that she won't raise the national flag until the restoration of J&K's special status. This led to a flurry of resignations with senior leaders such as Dr.Ramzan Hussain, TS Bajwa, Ved Mahajan and Hussain A Waffa leaving PDP. Mufti's problems compounded with her party winning only 27 seats in the recently concluded District Development Council polls as opposed to NC's 67 seats and the arrest of PDP youth wing president Waheed Para.

Read: PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti Blames BJP For Republic Day Violence; Slams Unconstitutional Laws