SRINAGAR: In anticipation of the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, PAGD leaders said that the Government of India must announce some CBMs. They talked to reporters before and after the PAGD meeting was over.
“Mehbooba Ji, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and I will attend the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah told reporters after the meeting was over. “We hope to keep our agenda before the prime minister and home minister.”
“There should be confidence-building measures,” Ms Mufti said. “Political prisoners should be released.”
Ms Mufti said they (read PAGD) are not aware of their (Delhi) agenda. “We don’t know about their agenda but we have our agenda. We will talk about what has been taken from us,” she said. Ms Mufti said Prime Minister must talk to Pakistan also.
PAGD members had already announced their decision to take part in the all-party meeting scheduled for June 24 at the Prime minister’s official residence.
PAGD is under pressure to represent the people and not their parties. An NC lawmaker from Budgam Aga Ruhullah Mehdi said the mainstream politicians invited for the all-party meet by New Delhi should suppress their individual political greed and stand up for their own people.
He said the odds are in favour of Jammu and Kashmir’s mainstream politicians who should seek relevance in Kashmir rather than in New Delhi.
Mehdi, who has been outspoken since the reading down of Article 370, was responding to a tweet by a Twitterati asking for his stand.
“My stand?” Mehdi wrote, “It’s simple. Speak from the position of strength, not as desperate. Don’t seek your relevance in Delhi, find it in Kashmir. Suppress your individual political goals (greeds) & stand for your people, doors will open for you. Contrary to many, I think odds are in our favour.
