The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has decided to accept the invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend an all-party meeting on the issues in Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on Thursday.

‘Restore special status’

After a meeting of the members in PAGD, National Conference leader and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said they will go to Delhi to attend the meeting.

PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was earlier apprehensive about the invitation, said she will urge the Centre to restore the special status of J&K along with statehood in the meeting.

“We will talk on what has been snatched away from us, that it was a mistake and it was an illegal and unconstitutional act, without restoring which, the issue of J-K and the situation in J-K and peace in the whole region cannot be established,” Mehbooba said.

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PAGD spokesman and CPI(M) Central Committee member Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami told BusinessLine after the meeting that there should be no mistaken belief that the alliance is going to sign on the agenda of New Delhi.

“We are going to see what New Delhi’s offer is and if it is in the interest of the people of J&K, then only we will proceed. We represent people of Jammu and Kashmir and will talk on their behalf. What has been snatched from the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh unconstitutionally and arbitrarily on August 5, 2019 has to be restored,” he said. He added that the Centre has not shared the agenda of the meeting with the leaders as yet.

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