Expressing disappointment over the outcome of the recent all-party meeting on J&K chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Monday said there was a lack of substantial confidence-building measures (CBMs) to end the siege and atmosphere of suppression that has choked Jammu and Kashmir since 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated and the state split into two union territories (UTs).

The PAGD spokesman and CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that “the CBMs 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.”

The meeting that was presided by the National Conference chief Dr Farooq Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar on Sunday night was attended by alliance vice-chairperson and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Tarigami, NC leader Hasnain Masoodi, Peoples Movement chief Javed Mustafa Mir and Awami National Conference senior vice president Muzaffar Ahmed Shah and they discussed the recent meeting chaired by the Prime Minister in Delhi on 24 June.

“All members of the PAGD expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the Delhi meeting especially at the absence of any substantial CBMs 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. This would have initiated the much needed process of reaching out to the people of J&K who are the biggest stakeholders & sufferers of the J&K problem”.

“The PAGD reiterated its commitment to fight together to reverse the unconstitutional and unacceptable changes foisted on the people of J&K   on 5 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”, said Tarigami.

The PAGD constituents stressed that “as far as 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 restoration of full statehood for J&K. To this end the PAGD has decided to reach out to other political parties in J&K with a view to take a common position on the issue”, the spokesman added.