Speaking on the discussion over Governor’s address, in the state legislative assembly, PDP president said, “the upper house of the state legislature should be represented by the representatives from PoK as well, and New Delhi can also nominate five members to it.

She said that the government should have no problem in starting the joint projects with PoK government and the joint proposals were particularly needed in the area of working out a common policy of mitigating the environmental damages.

Kashmir can’t be de-linked from political resolution and economic development alone can’t serve the purpose, she said.

She however said that New Delhi was not particularly serious over the withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the state.

Mehbooba Mufti also added that the government lead by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed created the peaceful conditions as a result of which Pakistan even started recognizing the elected representatives from the state who were invited by the country. “Pakistan was earlier saying that there were puppet regimes in Jammu and Kashmir.”

She also added that the party’s self rule proposal was the only alternative to Kashmir issue resolution and it also encompasses the autonomy proposal of the National Conference.

The PDP president, proposing a joint economic development of the Jammu and Kashmir state with PoK, said that barter trade between the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir won’t be fruitful unless the borders were in reality made irrelevant. “There should be no problem in starting the work over Wullar barrage and opening of more trade routes” Mufti said.

Mufti also accused the National Conference of scuttling the holding of Panchayat elections on time in the state. “Our government wanted that the Panchayat elections be held in time, but the National Conference members met the Governor seeking its postponement fearing for the life of their political workers,” she said.

However Mufti was rebutted by Law and Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, over this. He said that he had lead a delegation of NC leaders to the Governor opposing the government plans to dissolve the elected Panchayats in the state. However Mehbooba said dissolution of Panchayats was first required to hold the elections in the state.

Mufti also said that the Jammu and Kashmir state was losing huge revenue for transferring its rights to the Centre for the exploitation of the water of its rivers under the Indus Water treaty. She said unlike Jammu and Kashmir, the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh has an agreement with the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) under which it can’t build the hydroelectric power projects which exceed the capacity of 1020 MW. “For every MW of electricity produced, NHPC pays Rs 3 Lakh besides the royalty to the Himachal Pradesh. Under the agreement the local employment in the projects is 70 per cent .However we have forgone our rights over even our waters and this was done by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1951, she said.