PDP revokes Mir's suspension; likely to be next J

Srinagar, Sep 2 (UNI) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today revoked the suspension of rebel leader and former Tourism Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, paving the way for him to become the next Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in place of Mr Muzzafar Hussain Baigh who has been recalled by the party from the state Cabinet.

In a statement here, Mr Mir welcomed the PDP high command's decision to revoke his suspension, saying he was happy to be back in his party and would work for the implementation of its agenda.

PDP sources said the decision followed a series of meetings between the rebel leader and the party emissaries. Mr Mir, a known critic of Mr Baigh, was suspended from the PDP early this year for ''anti-party'' activities.

The PDP had earlier elected Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar as its legislative party leader, but his appointment as the next Deputy Chief Minister was opposed by certain quarters in the Congress. They raised objections to Mr Zargar becoming the next Deputy Chief Minister in the wake of the allegations that the militants who attacked Akshardham temple in Gujarat on September 24, 2002 had taken shelter in his ancestral house at Manzgam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

The choice is now between Mr Mir and Housing and Urban Development Minister Tariq Hameed Karra, who is considered to be very close to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

Mr Mir, in the statement, said, ''I feel happy to be back in my party. I have a sense of home-coming and am sure that under the leadership of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and party president Ms Mufti, our party will reach new heights not only as a political organisation, but also as a vehicle to facilitate a solution to the Kashmir problem and ensuring balanced development of all the three regions of the state.'' He said seven years ago when Jammu and Kashmir was passing through worst phase of history with no apparent hopes of retrieval, the PDP was launched under Mr Sayeed's leadership.

Mr Mir said the PDP's agenda was cut-out from the day of its inception. Mr Sayeed wanted to provide a new, genuine and honest direction to events in Jammu and Kashmir that could ultimately lead to a dignified solution of its political problems and bring out the people from deep economic distress, he added.

The former Minister said this agenda fitted into the imagination of the people of the state and the PDP received a mandate to be a partner in the new coalition government.

''Along the way, certain differences cropped up which resulted in the creation of a distance between me and the PDP leadership. During this period, I continued to be associated with the party's agenda morally and ideologically. I always stood by the position that the PDP was the only party that could guide the state a new destiny of peace, dignity and development. I might not have been associated directly with the party affairs, but even from a distance I always wished and worked for the same,'' he added.

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