Srinagar: The PDP’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on Sunday authorized the party president and former chief minister to take a final decision on the invitation to Mehbooba Mufti by the centre for talks in New Delhi.
The decision was taken at a crucial meeting that was held here under the chairmanship of Ms Mehbooba at her Fairview residence on Gupkar road on Sunday.
Chief spokesperson and media advisor to PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba, Syed Suhail Bukhari on Sunday told reporters after the PAC meeting that the invitation from the centre was discussed in detail. “Finally it was left to Ms Mehbooba to take a final call on the invitation,” he said.
However, he said a meeting of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is being held on Tuesday to discuss the invitation.
Mr Bukhari said that a formal invitation was received from the centre by Ms Mehbooba yesterday after receiving a telephonic communication for the meeting on June 24 at New Delhi.
“Later, it was decided to discuss the invitation at PAC, the highest decision making body of the party, today,” he said, adding the participants expressed their views freely and it was decided unanimously to leave to final call with Ms Mehbooba.
Replying to a question, Mr Bukhari said what every the decision Ms Mehbooba takes will be final. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of 14 leaders from eight political parties in J&K on June 24 to discuss the future course of action for the Union Territory.
He said the invitation will also be discussed at PAGD meeting on Tuesday. PAGD is an alliance of five political parties – including National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M), Awani National Conference (ANC) and Peoples Movement. The PAGD had recently held a meeting at the residence of Ms Mehbooba, where it was decided to avail every opportunity to raise the issue of abrogation of special status of J&K at every forum, including Parliament.
The invitation to Ms Mehbooba was followed by the release of her maternal uncle and PDP vice president Mohammad Sartaj Madani after six month long detention.
The centre has invited four former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti, besides four Deputy Chief Ministers – Muzafar Hussain Beigh, Tara Chand, Nirmal Singh, Kavinder Gupta. Leaders of six other political parties — Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI(M), Sajad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference, Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party, Prof Bhim Singh of Panthers Party, Ravinder Raina of BJP and G A Mir of Congress – were also invited in the meeting.
The meeting by the centre is the first such initiative since August 5, 2019, when the BJP-led NDA government abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides divided J&K into two Union Territories.
UNI
