PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday commended the role of the party’s three MLAs for effectively raising the demand for restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and articulating public sentiments in the recently held first session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Addressing a meeting of legislators and senior functionaries of PDP in Srinagar, Mehbooba said that the recently held Assembly elections were about defending J&K’s identity and dignity. ”Our MLAs have raised the people’s deep concerns over the unilateral abrogation of Articles 370 & 35A. The fight for our rights continues in the legislature and public outreach.

These elections were not just about securing seats but about defending the identity and dignity of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mehbooba stated.

She urged the party activists to rebuild the party’s grassroots structure and reach out to every household in J&K. “We must ensure that PDP’s agenda of peace, development, and dignity reaches every doorstep,” she said. “Our strength lies in our workers and their ability to connect with the people. Together, we can rebuild the party as a vehicle of hope and justice.”

Besides the three party MLAs, Waheed Para, Rafiq Naik and Mir Mohammad Fayaz, senior leaders like Naeem Akhtar, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Ghulam Nabi Lone, Khursheed Alam, Basharat Bukhari, Asiya Naqash and Zahoor Mir also attended the meeting.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, PDP legislature party leader Waheed Para said the party MLAs will continue to remind Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the promises the ruling National Conference (NC) made in the election campaign.

“We will keep reminding them about the Kashmiri youth lodged in outside jails and the need to shift them back, the enhanced ration quota and other issues.

Para criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government, accusing the “NC of confusion and lack of clarity on critical issues and political processes in Jammu and Kashmir”.

“Photo-ops, review meetings, and visits to Delhi are inadequate to resolve the complex problems of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.

Expressing demographic concerns, Para said Omar Abdullah talks about statehood but avoids addressing the core issue of Article 370. Their approach is inconsistent—rhetoric on roads but silence where it matters most, he said.

Today’s meeting focused on bridging the political void and addressing the emotional and demographic concerns that resonate deeply with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Para said.

Clarifying PDP’s stance on its relationship with the NC, Para said, “We are not against NC, but we expect them to fulfil the agenda on which they were elected. They need to raise these issues at proper forums, not just on roads”, the PDP leader added.