People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Agenda president Farooq Abdullah on June 19 said the amalgam will sit together and discuss the strategy for talks with Delhi only after there was a formal invite.
Meanwhile, official sources said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was in the process of getting in touch with political parties for a meeting on June 24 in New Delhi, in the first ever outreach by the Centre since J&K’s special constitutional position ended on August 5, 2019.
“We just know what is coming on the TV channels. There is no formal invitation yet. We will be going to discuss strategy with the amalgam’s constituents only if there is an invite,” Dr. Abdullah, who heads an amalgam of five political parties, told The Hindu.
Sources said the PMO had got in touch with Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti about the meeting. “I haven’t decided yet whether to attend the meeting,” Ms. Mufti said.
Sources said all political parties, both from the Kashmir and Jammu regions, were likely to be invited.
“We will participate in the meeting, if invited. There is a deep sense of deprivation in Jammu. The Centre removed the special status with a lot of fanfare (on August 5, 2019) but the fact is there is all-round deterioration in J&K,” National Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh said.
J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said the solution to the Union Territory’s problems lay in New Delhi.
“Solutions to J&K’s problems lie in New Delhi, not Islamabad, New York or London. Delhi’s invitation to J&K’s political parties will be a welcome development,” he said.
