IIOJK opposition parties unite against India's abrogation of Article 370

(Karachi) In a major development, the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have formed an alliance to restore the special status that existed in the state before the abolition of Article 370 of the Constitution, local media reported.

The alliance has been named as "People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration." The declaration is a joint effort of all the regional mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir – the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Conference, the Awami National Conference and the CPI (M) - to fight for the state’s special status.

As per details, the meeting of all-party alliance was held on October 15 at the National Conference chief’s residence to discuss ‘Gupkar Declaration’. The meeting was attended by PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone, CPIM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and Peoples Movement leader Javaid Mir. Omar Abdullah, Vice President of National Conference and other senior leaders of the party were also present at the meeting.

Battle to reverse Article 370

The declaration specifically aims at demanding the Indian government to reverse Article 370 and return the rights of people of Kashmir they held before August 5, 2019. Last year, Modi-led BJP government scrapped the Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

“Our battle is a constitutional battle, we want the government of India to return to the people of the State the rights they held before August 5, 2019,” National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said.

Abdullah said the alliance also seeks a dialogue between all stakeholders for resolution of the issue pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. “We will be informing you about the future course of action in due course,” the NC president stated.

The initiative

Earlier, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah along with his father and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah met PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, who was released a few days ago after spending more than a year in detention.

Mufti, Farooq and Omar Abdullah along with many others were taken under detention on August 5 last year, before the Centre scrapped Article 370 in the Parliament, removing the erstwhile state’s special status and bifurcating it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

While Farooq and Omar Abdullah were released earlier this year, Mehbooba, who was initially put under preventive custody, was later booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on February 6.

She was shifted to her official residence on April 7 after it was declared a subsidiary jail by the authorities.

However, on October 14, the Jammu and Kashmir government revoked PSA charges against Mufti and released her. Soon after her release from illegal detention, Mehbooba Mufti met Abdullah duo and leaders of other parties at her residence in Srinagar to decide the future course of action.