NC slams Art 370 action, asks Farooq to pursue joint efforts

Srinagar

The National Conference on Saturday hit out against the Centre for the removal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August last year and all subsequent actions as it backed party President Farooq Abdullah's aim to bring all parties and civil society groups together "to pitch for restoration of what was unconstitutionally snatched from the people".

At a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha, presided over by Abdullah, members expressed outrage over the decision undertaken on August 5, 2019, saying the measures have violated the spirit of federalism and the sovereign pledges of the Centre to the people of Jammu and Kashmir made from time to time.

"The unilateral, undemocratic and unconstitutional measures undertaken by GOI, and its impact on the ground level in Jammu and Kashmir was deliberated in the PAC meeting. On the occasion, the PAC members authorised the party President to widen the acceptance of the 'Gupkar Declaration' among all the sections in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.

"The participants applauded the efforts of the party President for his efforts underway to bring different political voices on a single platform for the restoration of J&K's honour, which was undemocratically, unilaterally and unethically rescinded on the 5th of August last year. Besides that the members of PAC also took strong exception of the succeeding measures undertaken by New Delhi following the annihilation of Articles 370, 35-A," a party statement said.

Party Vice President Omar Abdullah, General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, and other senior leaders were present in the meeting, while party functionaries from Jammu participated, via a video link.