STATEMENT STATEHOOD RESTORATION: DISAPPOINTED PAGD TO TALK TO OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES IN J&K

SRINAGAR: People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), after holding a meeting away from the media on Monday, said that they will talk to other political parties in Jammu and Kashmir so that there is a single voice for the common goals like restoration of statehood before holding of elections. PAGD said that they were disappointed by the outcome of the meeting held with the Prime Minister recently and said that they will continue to struggle peacefully and constitutionally to get back what has been snatched from the people of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August 2019.

PAGD released a statement on Monday stating, “The PAGD reiterated its commitment to fight together to reverse the unconstitutional and unacceptable changes foisted on the people of J&K on 5th August 2019 using all constitutional, legal, and political means at its disposal. PAGD’s struggle for undoing these changes will continue as long as it takes while striving to achieve this objective as early as possible”.

“All the members of the PAGD expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the Delhi meeting especially at the absence of any substantial Confidence Building Measures such as releasing political and other prisoners from jails and taking concrete steps to end the siege and atmosphere of suppression that has choked J&K since 2019,” the PAGD statement further said.

“This would have initiated the much-needed process of reaching out to the people of J&K who are the biggest stakeholders and sufferers of the J&K problem. As far as the restoration of statehood is concerned, it has been BJPs commitment on the floor of the Parliament, and they must honour their word. So, any assembly election must be held only after the restoration of full statehood for J&K. To this end the PAGD has decided to reach out to other political parties in J&K to take a common position on the issue,” it added.