Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with all political parties from Jammu and Kashmir on June 24, sources have said PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti is mulling skipping the talks. Mehbooba Mufti had earlier confirmed that she had received a call from the Centre for taking part in the meeting in Delhi on June 24. Fourteen leaders of 8 political parties have been invited to the meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the future course for the union territory.
PDP spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari today said, "All members have decided that the final decision regarding this will be taken by Mehbooba Mufti, all members have authorised her."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting with all political parties from Jammu and Kashmir on June 24 as part of the Centre's initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding assembly elections, in the union territory. The meeting -- the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019 -- is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders.
The central leadership has begun the process of inviting National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, Altaf Bukhari of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), and People's Conference head Sajjad Lone for the discussion, the officials said.
Mehbooba Mufti, on Friday had said she had received a call from the Centre for a meeting on June 24.
"I am yet to take a decision. I will discuss with my party members and take a final call," she said.
Both Abdullah and Mehbooba had served as chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP meeting held to discuss Centre's invitation for talks
Meanwhile, a crucial meet of the PDP's political affairs committee (PAC) – the highest decision-making body of the party – was held in Srinagar to discuss the invitation of the Centre to regional political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for talks. The meet began at 11 am at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's 'Fairview' residence at Gupkar.
The PAC, headed by Mehbooba, included party leaders Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Sartaj Madni, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, Mehboob Beg, Naeem Akhtar, Surinder Choudhary, Yashpal Sharma, Master Tassaduq Hussain, Sofi Abdul Gaffar, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Aasiya Naqash, Firdous Ahmad Tak, Mohammad Khursheed Alam and Muhammad Yusuf Bhat.
Madni was released from a six-month-long preventive detention on Saturday, hours after Mehbooba received the invitation, over phone, for the meeting.
While Veeri and PDP chief spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari were present physically in the meeting at Gupkar, other leaders joined the deliberations virtually, a party leader said.
He said the PAC meeting will take a final call on the party's participation in the meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24.
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