All-party meeting with J&K leaders on 24th June

The Gupkar Alliance, comprising prominent political parties from Jammu and Kashmir, has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to an all-party conference on 24th June.

Following the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the Congress party announced its participation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's all-party Jammu and Kashmir meet on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the Congress's Jammu and Kashmir head, stated that the invitation to the meeting was given without an agenda.

This is the first high-level engagement between the Centre and political leaders, mostly from Kashmir, since the Centre withdrew Jammu and Kashmir's special status on 5th August 2019, and the state was divided into two union territories.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Mehbooba Mufti – have been invited to the meeting.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has met with 14 politicians, including Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand, and GA Mir; NC's Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, J-K Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari; BJP's Ravinder Raina, Nirmal Singh, and Kavinder Gupta; CPI(M)

The meeting will also be attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and the Home Secretary.

According to sources, there is no planned agenda for the meeting, and a freewheeling debate is expected on 24th June.

However, delimitation, statehood, and assembly elections are anticipated to be hot topics during the all-party conference.

According to sources acquainted with the proceedings, the decision to reach out to political leadership in Jammu and Kashmir has sent a very good message, particularly in the valley, and it is likely to offer significant impetus to the political process, with conversations paving the way for positive outcomes.

Last year, the District Development Council and panchayat elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Minister Amit Shah stated in the Lok Sabha in February of this year that Jammu and Kashmir's statehood would be restored at the proper moment.

According to sources, the Centre is prepared to discuss all topics on the table, including statehood.

Although the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has consented to attend the conference, its leaders, particularly Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, have stated that they would request that New Delhi reinstate Articles 370 and 35 A.