People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), on Tuesday, reiterated its demand for restoration of special status of Jammu and Kashmir along with full statehood.
PAGD leaders held a meeting at the Gupkar residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah which was attended by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and other second rank leaders of the political parties which are part of alliance.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Tarigami, who is spokesperson of the PAGD, said they passed a resolution in the meeting in which several points have been raised including the restoration of what has been snatched on August 5, 2019.
“The voices of people are being muzzled. This has never been witnessed. But, cannot sustain for a long,” he said and warned that the silence in Jammu and Kashmir should not be taken as “normalcy".
Tarigami asserted that the alliance will not act as mute spectators over the ‘humiliation’ being faced by the J&K people.
Earlier, while addressing the meeting, Mehbooba reportedly said that those “who claim that Article 370 won’t come back have no faith in Almighty. We should not lose hope.”
“Article 370 secured our land and jobs, but now outsiders are on prowl. You can see how outsiders have taken control of sand extraction contracts. How NHPC has looted our resources and power projects,” she alleged and added that Kashmiris were being silenced on the barrel of the gun.
“PSA awaits those who speak the truth. Journalists are being harassed, arrested, deprived of getting passports,” the PDP chief alleged.
The PAGD meeting was held despite authorities not giving permission for it in view of the Covid-19 protocols. The PAGD is an alliance of six mainstream political parties seeking the restoration of the special status of J&K which was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019.