National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah chaired a marathon meeting of the National Conference Central Working Committee at NC Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah Complex in Srinagar today. The meeting started at 9:00 am and concluded at06:00 pm in the evening. According to a statement issued, NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar introduced the agenda of the meeting and presented resolutions that were put before the Central Working Committee. Members of the NC Central Working Committee spoke about various issues of importance for the party and deliberated upon various measures that have been taken and are under consideration of the party ahead of the forthcoming Assembly Elections.
Speaking at the end of the CWC meeting, NC Working President Omar Abdullah said that the Central Working Committee was an august forum of the party that had been called to meet in order to openly discuss various views and opinions face-to-face and to evolve a consensus for the strengthening of the party. Omar Abdullah said that it was important to take lessons from defeat and make ourselves stronger, better and more resolute in our mission.
Omar Abdullah said that National Conference had never and will never compromise on its political ideology and agenda. Omar Abdullah, terming NC's stand on the political resolution of Kashmir Issue as clear and unambiguous, said that he was the only Chief Minister who spoke strongly and fearlessly about the resolution of the Kashmir Issue on the floor of the State Legislative Assembly and also in front of the former Prime Minister of India during his visit to the State. Omar Abdullah said that he had repeatedly reiterated that Kashmir Issue was a political problem that merited a political solution and no amount of economic packages could substitute the need for a political settlement. Omar Abdullah also highlighted the fact that he openly and on-record spoke about the difference between merger and accession in the Legislative Assembly - something that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed would never have dared to do.
NC Working President and Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah said that Mufti Sayeed's "healing touch" was a big hoax and was based on lies and propaganda, something PDP has over the years attained a specialization in. Omar Abdullah said that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed claimed to have disbanded the SOG and the STF but the reality was that he only institutionalized their mandate by a change in nomenclature. Exposing PDP's lies, Omar Abdullah said that Mufti Sayeed started his "healing touch" propaganda by issuing SRO-43 orders that were brought into effect by National Conference in the previous Dr. Farooq Abdullah regime.
Omar Abdullah said that National Conference demolished more than 40 concrete bunkers from Srinagar City and that these bunkers were turned into concrete and painted and decorated structure by the previous PDP regime. Omar Abdullah said that PDP was spreading lies and canards about cases registered against stone-pelters and gave numbers to make the truth surface. Omar Abdullah said that only 45 stone-pelters were under custody at present with 35 of them booked under non-PSA, regular cases. Canards spread to the contrary by PDP were gross distortions of the truth and were politically motivated.
Speaking at the CWC meet, Omar Abdullah said that the atmosphere of peace was vitiated in the State by PDP in 2008 due to their involvement in the Amarnath Land Row Agitation - a burden of which was transferred on to the shoulders of the new government in the form of a volatile law and order situation. Omar Abdullah said the Home Department was looking into the possibility of some sort of a general amnesty to those cases that were not challaned and were not under the purview of the Honorable courts.
Speaking at the Central Working Committee Meeting, NC Working President Omar Abdullah said that a final decision on the issue of electoral alliance would be taken by the Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah after due consultations with party leaders and grassroots workers. The NC Working President said that National Conference would give PDP a fight to remember in the forthcoming Assembly Elections and the party had too glorious a history and too proud a legacy for its spirits to be dampened by one electoral result. Omar Abdullah said that the party's Parliamentary Board would be meeting soon so that the first list of candidates for the coming Assembly Elections would be announced after due feedback is gathered from the grassroots level and consensus is evolved at various relevant forums within the party. Omar Abdullah said that it would be the party's endeavor to announce candidates soon so that they could start focusing on their respective assembly segments.
In an important development, the NC Working President announced the constitution of a High-Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Senior NC Leader Mohammad Shafi Uri to recommend medium to long-term measures to revitalize the organizational strength of National Conference. Members to the Committee would include G. N. Ratanpuri, S. S. Salathia, Irfan Ahmed Shah, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, Dr. Mehboob Beg and Sardar Harbans Singh. The Committee would be given three months to come up with recommendations of medium and long term measures that the party needs to take to consolidate and strengthen its ideological roots in the State. Omar Abdullah said that the party needs to formulate long-term measures in addition to short-term measures being taken currently. A long-term plan with regards to the structure, agenda and direction that the party needs to take needs to be looked at in an in-depth analysis. Omar Abdullah said that the committee's recommendations would be put in front of the Central Working Committee for discussion and consideration.
Omar Abdullah also reiterated the need to infuse new blood and new faces into the rank and file of National Conference and said that youth was and will always be the driving force of the party. The NC Working President said that National Conference was a historic and political movement of struggles and sacrifices and not a 'Private Limited Company' like other political organizations that are centered around the whims of one single family. Omar Abdullah said that National Conference belonged to the workers of the party and that he would always serve National Conference as a loyal and dedicated soldier of the party.
On this occasion, the Central Working Committee unanimously passed five important resolutions that were read out to the members of the CWC by Senior NC Leaders Abdul Rahim Rather and Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan in the presence of NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar. The resolutions that were presented and adopted unanimously are:"We condole the demise of Veteran Congress Leader Chaudhary Mohamamd Aslam who is also the uncle of Senior NC Leader Mian Altaf Ahmed. The Central Working Committee paid tributes to the Late leader and recollected his contributions to the uplift of his community and in serving the interests of the downtrodden".
“We appreciate the recent talks between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharief and Indian Prime Minister Shri Narenda Modi, towards laying a foundation for building confidence, as a step forward in resolving the outstanding issues. We hope that the burning issue of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been a major reason for tension between the two countries, shall be addressed to the satisfaction of all stake holders”. “We have full faith and confidence in the time tested, sincere and dynamic leadership of Jenab Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. We look forward to his continued guidance and support for many many years to come”.
We appreciate the people friendly steps taken by Jenab Omar Abdullah Sahib, Hon’ble Chief Minister and Working President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. We appreciate the recently taken revolutionary decisions by the Government, under the able guidance of Jenab Omar Abdullah, in enhancing the retirement age, qualifying age, scrapping the stipendiary employment policy and service benefits to the Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers. These initiatives shall go a long way in building confidence of youth, especially, those who had crossed the qualifying age and have got an opportunity to avail government employment”. Also the problems regarding electric tariff and ration quota should be addressed as early as possible.
“We appeal Government under the leadership of Omar Abdullah, to grant general amnesty to the youth, who are involved in stone pelting incidents. This initiative, if taken, shall go a long way, and give hope to these youth as it shall give them an opportunity to be part of the mainstream, and they shall progress and prosper for the uplift of their families and the society as a whole. At the same time we make an appeal to the youth of the state to join their hands with the National Conference, which is not only a party but a political movement, which has brought the people of the state out of the clutches of slavery and history is witness to the fact that it has opened up educational and employment opportunities from to time for the youth of the state.
Youth is future of the state, and coming under the umbrella of National Conference, under the youth leadership of Jb. Omar Abdullah, shall usher the state of Jammu and Kashmir into a new era of peace and prosperity”.
“Jammu and Kashmir National Conference stands for the unity, integrity and the special status of Jammu and Kashmir State, and shall continue to strive for this noble cause of defending its secular character. The party believes in the unity among all the regions of the state above caste, creed, colour and geographical boundaries. We further resolve that we shall continue to work in this direction and vehemently defeat the ill designs of the forces that are hell bent to weaken the secular credentials of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. We resolve and stand by our commitment that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is a single entity exemplifying unity in persity, and shall defend the same by defeating the disintegrative forces”.