Srinagar, Sep 1 : Former separatist leader Syed Salim Gilani joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) here on Sunday. Gilani, who was associated with the moderate Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Hurriyat leader Salim for a long time, joined the PDP in the presence of party President Mehbooba Mufti and other workers at party headquarters on Sunday. Mehbooba welcomed the Hurriyat leader Gilani to the party fold. The PDP President during the function said that Gilani was offered to contest the upcoming elections on the party ticket but he refused and pledged to work for the betterment of the people in general and particularly for the party. On the occasion, Gilani said, “I was associated with the Hurriyat Conference for the past 35 years and felt proud for working with that and today I am joining PDP is also a proud moment for me”. He said the PDP is the lone party that has touched all the issues concerning the people and has worked on them. PDP has raised the issues of the release of jailed youth, suppression, and other atrocities being faced by the people, and has impressed me to join the party. Gilani said that during the past five years, nobody dared to raise their voices. “I feel that the PDP talked about Kashmir issue, elections, people aspirations, atrocities and on the issues of democratic, political and human rights in Jammu and Kashmir”, Gilani said and added, “I could not find any better platform than the PDP from where I could serve the people”. “Contesting elections was not my motive. My motive is to serve the people in any form”, he said. Meanwhile, earlier during the day former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and Senior National Conference leader Babu Jag Jiwan Lal and former PDP Chief Spokesperson Suhail Bukhari joined the Congress party on Sunday. JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra welcomed both the leaders into the Party fold.
