Srinagar: The crucial All-Party Meeting, being chaired by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi has begun where all the politicians from Jammu and Kashmir have arrived.
According to the media reports from New Delhi, Modi reached his residence just a few minutes ago, where Home Minister Amit Shah and politicians from JK were already present.
All the invitees (JK politicians) including National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister G N Azad, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference (PC) Chairman Sajad Ghani Lone, Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari, CPI (M) senior leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, Congress leader Tara Chand, BJP leaders Ravider Raina, Kavinder Gupta and Nirmal Singh have reached Modi’s residence.
Pertinently, the GoI had invited at least 14 JK leaders including former chief ministers for an All Party Meeting following which hectic deliberations took place within the political parties as well as People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of mainstream political parties comprising of NC, PDP, CPI (M), Jammu Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) and Awami National Conference (ANC).
Reports quoting sources said that no fixed agenda has been set for the meeting and a freewheeling discussion is expected today. However, delimitation, assembly elections and granting statehood through another constitutional amendment are expected to remain key issues for discussion at the all-party meeting.
They said the all-party meeting signals the restarting of political engagement between mainstream Kashmiri political parties and the GoI, which in August 2019 voided Articles 370 and 35A that bestowed special status to Jammu and Kashmir and privileges to its residents, and split the state into two Union territories- JK and Ladakh.
All mainstream political leaders were detained, internet and phone connections were snapped and curfew-like restrictions were imposed in the Valley for months. Politicians in the Valley remain bitterly opposed to JK’s bifurcation and revocation of Article 370.
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