Haroon Nabi
Delhi, June 24, KDC: The first ever meeting between the centre and the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of J-K’s special status and bifurcation of state into two union territories have started at the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, official residence of Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi.
An official told News Agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that the “All party meeting” called by Prime Minister Modi at his residence in New Delhi have started and all the fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir from eight political parties – including PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand and Ghulam Ahmad Mir, National Conference’s Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, J-K Apni Party’s Altaf Bukhari, BJP’s Ravinder Raina, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, CPI(M)’s M Y Tarigami, National Panthers Party’s Prof Bheem Singh, and Peoples Conference’s Sajad Gani Lone are present in this meeting.
He said that Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, National Security advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and are also present in this meeting at PM’s residence.
Sources told news agency Kashmir dot Com 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 parties and the Centre, 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.
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 J&K’s bifurcation and revocation of Article 370. (KDC)
