Won’t quit, will fight sitting in fire, says Farooq Abdullah
Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of various political parties, fighting for the restoration of pre-August 5, 2019 decision of New Delhi, Wednesday met after a gap of six months and vowed to use every opportunity to fight for peoples’ rights stating that the alliance “will fight while sitting in fire.”
The meeting as per a local news agency, Kashmir News Observer (KNO), was held at the Gupkar residence of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, where other members of the alliance that include Javaid Mustafa Mir, M Y Tarigami, NC MP Hasnain Masoodi and Muzaffar Shah of Awami National Conference (ANC) and Mehbooba Beg of PDP participated. The meeting decided to appoint Tarigami as the full-fledged spokesman of PAGD.
The meeting chaired by PAGD’s president and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah, started at 05:10 pm.
Soon after the meeting, the leaders from PAGD stated that there has been no change in their stance on the declaration made on 4 August 2019. The leaders while talking to the media persons said that the alliance will continue to “fight for the rights of people.”
The NC chief Abdullah, when asked whether he would resign as Member of Parliament in case any unfavourable decision is taken by the Centre, said: “We will fight sitting in fire. I will not quit. But, I will fight for my people in the Parliament,” he said.
He added that the doors of PAGD has and will remain always open for everyone. “We have not been asked or informed about anything so far regarding the ongoing speculations,” he said.
About the delimitation process, he said they have already moved to the Supreme Court (SC) with regard to the 5 August decision. “The matter is in court. Let the verdict be announced first. We will take a call accordingly,” he said.
PAGD’s new spokesman, Tarigami said that the conglomerate will never leave any stone unturned for the betterment of the people. “We (PAGD) will use every opportunity for the wellbeing of the people,” he said.
The meeting assumed significance as it was held amid speculations over the further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir by the Centre.
Pertinently, the PAGD, a conglomerate of political parties was formed in Jammu and Kashmir to fight for the restoration of 4 August 2019 position. Nonetheless, the silence prevailed within the conglomerate from last couple of months. (KNO)
