SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday called on the National Conference (NC) to endorse her party’s proposed legislation, which is set to be introduced in the upcoming budget session.
“I appeal to Omar Sahib to lend his support for the approval of our bills,” Mehbooba stated while speaking to journalists in Pulwama.
PDP legislators have put forth three private member bills for discussion in the Assembly session, scheduled to begin on March 3.
Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, a PDP representative from Pulwama, has introduced a proposal titled “The Jammu and Kashmir (Recognition and Regularization of Property Rights of Residents on Public Land) Bill, 2025.”
This bill aims to grant ownership rights to individuals who have been residing on government land for over twenty years.
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The other two bills focus on the formalization of contractual workers and the prohibition of alcohol.
“During my tenure, I introduced an SRO to regulate thousands of contractual employees, but the initiative was stalled after the government’s collapse. We have now brought forth a bill to ensure their permanent employment,” Mehbooba explained.
She further highlighted the destructive impact of substance abuse and alcohol on families, emphasizing the PDP’s commitment to curbing the crisis through legislation.
Speaking on the property rights bill, Mehbooba remarked, “Families residing on Kahcharai land, as well as educational institutions constructed on such plots, must be granted legal ownership rights.”
Addressing the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s directive discouraging legislators from publicly discussing upcoming legislative proposals, Mehbooba criticized the move, stating that the Speaker’s responsibility is to protect members’ rights, not silence them.
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She underscored the importance of making legislative proposals accessible to the public for wider deliberation and scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the PDP reaffirmed its commitment to introducing three bills, including one addressing the job security of temporary workers.
In a post on X, the party’s youth wing remarked, “We would have gladly referred to the rules governing proceedings in the J&K Assembly, but the Speaker has yet to release them—even to elected representatives.”
In another statement, the PDP confirmed that apart from the employment bill, it would also introduce proposals for an alcohol ban and land ownership rights for marginalized communities.
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The party has been particularly vocal about banning alcohol. PDP leader Iltija Mufti previously stressed that liquor and narcotics are devastating households in J&K, urging collective action before the crisis worsens.
A separate bill, submitted by PDP legislator Fayaz Ahmad Mir from Kupwara, seeks a complete prohibition on the advertisement, sale, purchase, consumption, and production of alcoholic beverages across Jammu and Kashmir.
The PDP’s criticism of procedural delays follows Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s recent expression of discontent over lawmakers publicizing their submitted notices.
A statement from the Legislative Assembly noted that the Speaker had reminded members that, in accordance with parliamentary customs, established practices, and existing rules, it is inappropriate to excessively publicize notices regarding questions, bills, resolutions, or other House-related matters.
