Srinagar: The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, a grouping of political parties and leader in Jammu and Kashmir has accepted an invitation to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports said. On Tuesday it said all the invited constituents will take part to represent the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The PAGD leaders PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami, Javaid Mustafa Mir and Awani National Conference Vice President Muzaffar Shah met at the residence of Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, they said that they will put forward in the meeting the stand which PAGD had taken when it was formed in August last year. Dr Farooq Abdullah, who heads the PAGD said: “Our stand is clear and you know what our stand is. Since New Delhi has invited leaders individually, we have decided that all those invited will attend the meeting and put forth their viewpoint on Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Read:| PAGD leaders to attend PM Modi's all-party meeting
Dr Abdullah said that there is no fixed agenda for the meeting. “We can talk on any and every issue in the meeting,” he said. Tarigami, who is the spokesman of the PAGD said that they will not ask for stars from the sky in the PM’s meeting on June 24. “We will seek something that is ours and will remain ours,” he said. As we have no information of the agenda of the meeting called by the PM, we will reiterate the stand of the PAGD there, before the highest leadership,” he said.
The CPI(M) leader said the meeting with PM Modi is an opportunity and assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh that the leaders were going to Delhi to “advocate on their behalf”. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said that they are not against dialogue. "We will demand the release of political prisoners as there are many who are unwell in jails. We will also seek immediate shifting of prisoners back to Jammu and Kashmir jails from various prisons.”
Read:| Congress, BJP panels on Jammu and Kashmir to meet today ahead of all-party meeting with PM Modi
Awami National Conference vice-president Muzaffar Shah said: “There will be no compromise on Article 370 and Article 35 A.” The meeting with the Prime Minister has reinvigorated mainstream political parties in Kashmir nearly two years after the modification of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. It will be the first official meeting of PAGD and other leaders since August 5, 2019.
