Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Declare Formal Alliance, Demand Restoration of Rights J&K Had Before Aug 5, 2019

The meeting was held at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah who later on made the formal announcement about the same.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah addresses a press conference along with his son Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, People's Conference President Sajjad Gani Lone and others after meeting of signatories to the Gupkar declaration, at his residence. (Image: PTI)

Srinagar: The mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, who are signatories to the Gupkar Declaration, met on Thursday evening and formed an alliance to seek reversal of the constitutional changes in the erstwhile state made on August 5, 2019. The meeting was held at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah who later on made the formal announcement about the same. The meeting was attended by former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone, People's Movement leader Javaid Mir and CPIM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. The announcement of the People's Alliance For Gupkar Declaration was made after the signatories met at Abdullah. The Declaration, made on August 4, 2019, had called for safeguarding the identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

At the condolence meet organised by NC District Committee Rajouri Rural to pay homage to Th Rachpaul Singh ji Senior Leaders SS Salathia Sb Gani Mallick Sb Dr Chaman Lal ji Aslam Khan Sb and Youth Provincial President Aijaz Jan paid tributes to departed soul. pic.twitter.com/oVskGYIw8k

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The meeting was convened a day after NC leaders and former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah met PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, also a former Chief Minister, at her residence after she was released from detention earlier this week. Speaking to reporters after the nearly two-hour meeting, Abdullah said, "The formal name of the alliance is People's Alliance For Gupkar Declaration. We want the Government of India to return to the people of the state the rights they had before August 5, 2019." He said it is a constitutional battle to resolve the political problem of Jammu and Kashmir in a peaceful manner through dialogue. "We want the political issue of the state to be resolved as quickly as possible through dialogue in a peaceful manner with all the stakeholders involved in this problem," National Conference president said. He said the detention of Mehbooba Mufti, who was released after 14 months, was illegal, unjustified and constitutional and demanded that all those who are still in prisons must be released immediately. As per reports, the alliance partners are most likely to meet soon and will also reach out to people of the state for a broader discussion.