‘J&K parties in touch with Centre for polls, statehood’

According to various media reports and people privy to the recent visits of J&K mainstream leaders to New Delhi, informal talks were being held with all the mainstream political leaders, including Sajad Lone, Farooq Abdullah and PDP, though Mehbooba Mufti is not directly in touch.

Reports said that mainstream political parties of

Jammu and Kashmir want early Assembly elections and also return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as promised on the floor of the House by the BJP government when they reduced the erstwhile state into two Union Territories on 5 August 2019.

In this connection, Farooq Abdullah recently met Mehbooba Mufti at her residence apparently to hold a People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) meeting after a gap of more than six months.

After the meeting, Farooq Abdullah indicated that they were ready for the talks with the Centre and said that they have never closed the doors on negotiations. Reports said that Ghulam Nabi Azad has played an important role to motivate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for restoration of statehood as early as possible with some guarantees so that mainstream political parties in Jammu and

Kashmir, especially People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), could take a plunge to participate in the Assembly elections. Recently, reports said that Sajad Lone was also in New Delhi to hold talks through back channels and he also insisted on restoration of statehood with some guarantees for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participation in Assembly elections.

According to media reports, the PAGD leadership is likely to visit New Delhi and hold formal talks with the BJP leadership to hammer out a mutually acceptable solution to the present political impasse. The National Conference has already shown its willingness to engage with the delimitation commission and the PAGD is also not averse to any kind of talks with the Centre in the present circumstances. Sources within the PAGD said that it is only Mehbooba Mufti who told Farooq Abdullah that the Centre must declare something for Jammu and Kashmir before they go for any negotiations officially. She warned that the Centre has a habit of humiliating the mainstream political leadership and said that mere assurances cannot be accepted unless there is some declaration from the Centre regarding Jammu and Kashmir.