After telephonic invite to attend an all-party meet convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national Capital on June 24, the mainstream Kashmiri leaders, on Saturday claimed they are not in a position to confirm their participation in the absence of any formal invitation and receipt of a clear agenda from the Centre.
Majority of leaders, who publicly opposed the Centre’s move to Abrogate Article 370 that stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status in August 2019 and were detained for several months, have reportedly received an invitation to join the parleys at the highest level.
Cautiously responding to the first such dialogue offer, some of the Kashmir-based leaders claimed that at present there was no clear-cut agenda for talks with New Delhi. “Once we will receive a formal invitation along with the agenda of the talks then only we can take a call to join the parleys,” he said.
The J&K units of the BJP and the Congress are also likely to be part of these discussions, which are being seen as part of efforts to strengthen normal political processes in the Union Territory.
The much-awaited meeting is being convened to bring on board all the stakeholders from the region to explore the possibility of holding Assembly polls after the completion of the Delimitation process.
Apart from the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and some of the senior Cabinet Ministers are scheduled to attend the meeting.
Reports also revealed the Centre was preparing ground for the said meeting for a long time and had discussed the contours of the political process with some of the like-minded leaders in advance before inviting them for the talks.
Responding to the offer of talks by the Centre several Kashmir-based leaders claimed they have so far received only a verbal invite and were still looking forward to a formal invitation to join the parleys in New Delhi.
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said they will sit and discuss the strategy to be followed if they get the formal invitation from New Delhi.
Former Chief Minister and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar said, “There is no clear-cut agenda about the talks with New Delhi. However, I have asked my party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for a meeting to discuss the same.”
Chief spokesman of the party Syed Suhail Bukhari in a recorded message confirmed, “PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had received a call from the Centre to attend the all party’s meet in New Delhi next week”. He said the party chief had convened a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of to take a final call on whether to attend the same or not.
Meanwhile, hours after Mehbooba received an invitation from the Centre for talks with State’s regional political parties, her uncle and senior leader of the party, Sartaj Madni, was on Saturday released from six-month-long detention.
Officials said Madni, who was under preventive detention at MLA hostel here, was released on Saturday afternoon.
On the other hand, J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said the solution to J&K’s problems lies in New Delhi.
“We openly state that we have a relationship with Delhi. Solutions to J&K’s problems lie at New Delhi not Islamabad, New York or London. Delhi’s invitation to J&K’s political parties is a welcome development. My question to all the political parties is they called us King’s party, now who is king’s party?,” Bukhari said in an obvious reference to NC and PDP.
Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone and CPI(M) leader Mohd Yousaf Tarigami are also expected to receive an invite to join the parleys.