A rag-tag coalition of six Kashmir based regional political parties 'unanimously' elected Farooq Abdullah, who is also a sitting member of Parliament from Srinagar, as president of the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti was elected as its vice president on Saturday.
In addition to this, the Peoples Conference Chairman, Sajjad Lone was named as spokesman of the alliance while CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami was elected as its Convenor and another JKNC MP Justice(Retd) Hasnain Masoodi was elected as its coordinator. The Kashmiri leaders, gathered at the residence of PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, also adopted the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir as its party symbol.
All the participants who attended the meeting also reiterated their resolve to carry forward their struggle to ensure restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Announcing the decision soon after the maiden meeting ended, Sajjad Lone told waiting media persons, “the flag of erstwhile J&K will be the symbol of the alliance and on November 17, there will be a convention in Srinagar followed by another meeting in Jammu within two weeks”.
“A document will be prepared within a month via which we'll present facts behind the lies that are being propagated.An impression is being given that all the corruption had happened in Jammu and Kashmir only,” Lone said. It'll be a tribute to people of J&K who are being slandered,” he said.
Addressing the media, Dr Farooq Abdullah said, “It's not an anti-national Jamat, our aim is to ensure that the rights of people of J&K and Ladakh are restored.”
He further said that attempts of dividing them in the name of religion will fail and said that “It's not a religious fight.”
The National Conference president also said that they will issue a white paper or document within one month to counter the propaganda of the BJP.
Earlier, Farooq met Jammu based leaders of the NC at his residence in Srinagar and deliberated on the prevailing political scenario. Later, he also paid a visit to the Durganag temple in DalGate area on the occasion of Mahanavmi.
