SRINAGAR: For the first time after the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, constituents of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Sunday held a meeting.

Their meeting took place at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and away from media glare.

Sources told Kashmir Reader that the meeting discussed the main objective of the group for which it was formed on August 4, 2019.

“It was important to meet to reaffirm the stand of the group, which is to reverse all that has happened since August 5, 2019, and get JK back to the August 4 status,” the sources said.

After the New Delhi meeting, the PAGD had announced a meeting but postponed it at the last minute. The meeting was cancelled citing an engagement of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. However, it had raised speculations about divisions in the amalgam.

A political leader, who was part of today’s meeting, when asked why the PAGD met secretly this time without informing the media in advance, said that it was because some of the members were unlikely to participate because of personal issues.

“There was nothing hanky panky about not allowing the media to know. We were not sure about the attendance of some members,” the leader said.

There will be a statement coming about today’s meeting, he added.

PAGD spokesperson MY Targami’s phone was off until the news was sent to the press.

Fourteen leaders, including former chief ministers and party presidents, were invited to the meeting in Delhi that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those invited were 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