Final decision postponed to Tuesday

SRINAGAR: Mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have decided to take a decision on Tuesday on attending the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24. This was decided on Sunday after the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held internal party meetings at their respective headquarters here.

The NC’s Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi told Kashmir Reader that the party has decided to talk about restoration of the pre-August 5 (2019) status of Jammu and Kashmir in the meeting, but it is subject to the party’s participation, which will be decided on Tuesday when all the constituents of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will meet.

“There is no change in the position of the party as far as restoring the pre-August 5 status is concerned. This has been decided by the party leaders in the internal meeting today,” he added.

Masoodi said that the NC meeting was attended by Dr Farooq Abdullah, Nasir Aslam Wani, Ali Muhammad Sagar, Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Abdul Rahim Rather, Mubarak Gul, Mustafa Kamal, Sakina Yatoo, and Muhammad Shafi Uri.

The Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body of the PDP, too met on Sunday. After a two-hour-long meeting which was chaired by Mehbooba at her ‘Fairview’ residence in Gupkar area, it was decided that party president Mehbooba Mufti will take a call on the invitation from Delhi.

“The PAC unanimously authorised the party president to take a final decision on the matter,” PDP chief spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari told reporters outside Mehbooba’s residence after the meeting.

“After two days, the PAGD is meeting, where this issue will be discussed. The members of the alliance will give their suggestions and a decision on the way forward will be taken there, including the decision on participation in the meeting,” he said.

PDP leaders Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Sartaj Madni, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, Mehboob Beg, Naeem Akhtar, Surinder Choudhary, Yashpal Sharma, Master Tassaduq Hussain, Sofi Abdul Gaffar, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Aasiya Naqash, Firdous Ahmad Tak, and Muhammad Yusuf Bhat met at Mehbooba’s residence.

Political leaders in J&K have been invited by New Delhi for a meeting for the first time since August 5, 2019, when J&K was reduced from a state to a union territory and all its special privileges abolished.

Fourteen leaders, including former chief ministers and party presidents, have been invited to the meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi on June 24. Those invited include Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah, Sajad Lone, Altaf Bukhari, Ravinder Raina, GA Mir, MY Tarigami, Bhim Singh, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Tara Chand, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz