For the first time after the abrogation of Article 370, the authorities on Wednesday allowed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders to hold a meeting.The meeting as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) was held at party's headquarter in Srinagar in which senior party leaders including Abdul Rehman Veeri, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, Khursheed Aalam, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, Suhail Bukhari and other leaders were present.Veeri while talking to KNO said that the youth wing of PDP had organized a meeting today following which they were also allowed to reach the party headquarters.Earlier, the meeting called by PDP for the first after trashing of Jammu and Kashmir's special status was foiled by the government by putting all the leaders under house detention.Meanwhile, calling out the brazen duplicity of Government of India (GoI) in dealing with issues in Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere, PDP during the meeting said that such a practice will not be tolerated. “On one hand BJP is participating in dialogue with Taliban , talking reconciliation with PLA who have invaded Ladakh and discussing with Nagaland insurgents desperate constitution and Flag , but at the same time using anything but dialogue to deal with the mess created by them after illegal scrapping of special status if J&K. This is unacceptable,” the party said.The party reaffirmed its pledge to continue fighting for the aspirations and rights of people of Jammu & Kashmir and resist by all democratic ways the onslaught by the central government.In the first ever meeting after August 5, 2019, the party emphasized that the constitutional fraud perpetrated on the people of J&K and the subsequent bulldozing of constitutional rights will always remain unacceptable and would be fought uncompromisingly.
The meeting was presided over by Party Vice President A R Veeri and Party General Secretary G N Lone Hanjura and addresses by Former Legislator & District President Muhammad Khurshid Alam, Party youth wing President Waheed ur Rehman Parra and Former legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir, all of whom stepped out of their homes for the first time since they were detained on 5th August 2019.Speaking on the occasion, Veeri said that In these tough times we need to sustain unity, ignite the embers of hope and be steadfast and resolute in our endeavors in order to protect our rights and dignity .“We reject undemocratic treatment imposed by ruling regime, which has hundreds of our youngsters unjustifiably held in jails, despite huge risks to their lives from the Covid-19 pandemic. Our voices have been ignored, our institutions erased. We cannot afford to remain silent any longer. We need to speak now to restore our dignity and take charge of our own destinies,” the meeting observed.Addressing the meet Hanjura Sb recounted the million moments of ordeal that people of J&K have had to go through and the underlined and appreciated the valiant resilience shown against all odds.“Jammu and Kashmir has seen many lockdowns and crises. And each time we have shown that we can survive and stand with one another. We have demonstrated to the world a unique capacity to resist.Reiterating party’s resolve to put People’s aspirations first former legislator and DP Srinagar Mohd Khursheed Alam said that no amount of coercion can subdue and suppress our movement to safeguard the rights of people of Jammu & Kashmir."We demand an immediate end to ruling regimes denial of the political problem. Our people have endured a brutal clampdown and the world’s longest internet slowdown,” said Youth wing president waheed ur Rehman Parra.Former Legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir said that too many of our mothers and sisters have been rendered widows. Too many of our children have been lost. Too many of our students are staring ahead at bleak futures.“There’s unending insecurity among the young people with the fresh fears of demographic change, assaults on jobs, land rights, culture & language,“ Mir added.The meeting was also attended by Abdul Hamid Kosheen, Bashir Ah Mir,Rouf Bhat, Tahir Syed, Harbaksh Singh, Mohsin Qayoom, Arif Laigaroo,Raja Waheed,Shahnawaz Mir and others—(KNO)