People's Democratic Party on Sunday announced that it would join the fruit growers on their march to Muzaffarabad on Monday.
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Both factions of the separatist, All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the fruit growers association have already notified their programme of crossing the Line of Control at Uri on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road with trucks laden with fruits and other commodities on Monday.
The fruit growers say they have been forced to resort to this extreme step following the blockade of Jammu-Srinagar national highway, resulting in the delicate fruit worth crores getting perished.
In a statement, People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said, "PDP would fully participate in the march. Party workers and sympathizers would be led by senior leaders Abdul Aziz Zargar and Mohammad Dilawar Mir and they would constitute a part of the main caravan."
Mehbooba Mufti reiterated 'the urgency of fully operationalizing the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road for passenger and goods traffic'.
The PDP president said her party has all along been stressing the need for reopening of all traditional routes that offered Kashmir an unlimited access to outside world.
"The denial of this access over the past sixty years has acted as a severe constraint on the growth of the state on economic and social front," Mehbooba said.
"The march should be seen as the assertion of Kashmir's inalienable right to trade and travel without restrictions."
In a statement, the PDP president said: "Opening up of the road between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar along with other links like Suchetgarh-Sialkote, Rawlakote-Poonch and Kargil-Skardu offered a win-win opportunity to India, Pakistan and the people of the state."
She said, "The Indo Pak dialogue must now zero in on this subject with speed and focus as the situation cannot brook any further delay in restoring regular passenger and goods traffic on the road in view of the emerging scenario in Jammu."
