Srinagar, June 23: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to meet political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, several leaders from the UT reached New Delhi on Wednesday.
All these leaders have received an invitation from the Government of India to be part of the meeting which is scheduled to take place at the official residence of the Prime Minister at 3 pm.
The PM’s outreach is being seen as the “beginning of a process” while leaders of various political parties told the Greater Kashmir that this is an “opportune time to push for the restoration of a democratic processes” in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per sources, the PM is likely to discuss return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in the all-party meeting “as he and his government are committed to it”, sources added. However, the exact timeline of the restoration of statehood to J&K may not be known immediately, sources said.
Among the J&K leaders who reached New Delhi on Wednesday included Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti accompanied by her political advisor Suhail Bukhari.
Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir is already in Delhi and took part in a core-group meeting of the Congress on Tuesday which was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari who is also in New Delhi said the all-party meeting is “an important occasion” adding that the PM has “taken a big step”. “The political process which he (PM) started last year on March 14 in which many of us were invited. It took a little longer than one had expected. That meeting had resulted in the release of many leaders who are attending the all-party meeting… We are looking forward to the all-party meet,” Bukhari said in a TV interview.
CPI (M) senior leader Muhammad Yousuf
Tarigami who is also the spokesman of PAGD also left for New Delhi on Wednesday morning while Congress leader Tara Chand is also there for the all-party meeting.
Congress senior leader and former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is already in New Delhi while Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Ghani Lone reached on Tuesday. National Conference vice president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah has been in New Delhi for the last few days.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K president Ravinder Raina has also reached New Delhi while former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh will reach New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the all-party meeting.
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah is leaving for New Delhi on Thursday.
It may be mentioned that all the leaders of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) invited for the all-party meeting will be attending it.
Addressing a press conference after a PAGD meeting on Tuesday, Dr Farooq Abdullah, without mentioning restoration of Article 370, said the agenda of the amalgamation “remains same as earlier and will be put forth in the all-party meeting.”
As many as 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers of the erstwhile state, have been invited for the all-party meeting. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the “future course of action” for J&K.