Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC), People’s Democratic Front (PDF), and Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Justice and Development Front (JDF) on Monday announced the formation of People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), with an aim “to raise the issues of common masses, including restoration of the constitutional position that existed before August 5, 2019”.
The alliance formation was announced at JKPC president Sajad Gani Lone’s official residence here in the presence of PDF president Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, JDF president Shamim Ahmad Thokar and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil.
“PAC is an alliance of those who have suffered. How would Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah know what is victimhood? They only know how to inflict oppression. This is a people’s alliance for change. It is not a third front and everyone can join us,” Lone, a former minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government, told reporters.
“We want reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir in the true democratic sense. The issue of (incarceration of) Shabir Shah and Jamaat members like Hamid Fayaz have come up. If the government is claiming that everything is fine here now, then give compassion and magnanimity a chance. You cannot keep people in jail forever. It has not worked for the past 78 years. Enough is enough,” he said.
Lone said reservation was another major issue in Jammu and Kashmir that no political party wanted to mention.
“We have earlier said that it is a regional issue. No merit list has more than 30 percent Kashmiris now. Does any political party raise its voice? They would not, as it is about votes,” he said.
Lone said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cannot play the victim card anymore.
“The victim card will not work. As far as I know, dissolution of assembly is not a prerequisite for granting statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Whoever says it, is lying. Even the chief minister knows it,” Lone said.
Referring to Abdullah’s recent statement that he was ready to make way for a BJP chief minister if that ensures statehood restoration, Lone said the principal opposition party in the Union Territory “already has its man as the chief minister”.
“As far as the BJP chief minister goes, there is already one — Omar Abdullah. How many do they want? He goes everyday there to pay his respects,” the former minister added.
Lone said that while statehood is necessary, the alliance will always work for reinstatement of the August 4, 2019 position.
“We will always strive for reinstatement of the pre-August 5, 2019 position. Statehood is absolutely necessary, we can go forward after that,” he said.
Lone said the Centre will have to initiate the restoration of J&K’s statehood.
“We have only three members in Parliament. At the end of the day, the ruling party (at the Centre) has to set the ball rolling and give back the statehood. Then we can follow it with what we had on August 4, 2019. But I hope that statehood is restored at the earliest, because you are totally in danger until then,” he said.
Asked if going to court for statehood was an option, he said, “It is not easy to move court, since the court has not given any verdict in your favour so far. Either you will get statehood from the court or you are going to the court under some conspiracy to close the chapter forever.”
Lone, the incumbent legislator from Handwara Assembly constituency, said the PAC would be a viable alternative for the people as far as the current political situation of J&K union territory is concerned.
“After two or three months of meetings and discussions with the leaders of the PDF and JDF, we ultimately agreed to launch a new alliance in J&K to provide people with a viable political platform that would only serve them,” said Lone.
The PDF chairman and former legislator from Khansahab Assembly constituency, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, according to Lone, when approached, without any second thought agreed to join.
Launching a veiled attack on the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party for allegedly causing sufferings and miseries to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the past three decades, Lone said those who have endured pain, been subjected to severe torture, and spent years behind bars can truly understand what pain feels like for a man.
“There are two types of people in Kashmir: those who were on the front lines of oppression and those who were beaten up for thirty years straight, served prison, experienced severe interrogation, and had many of them killed,” he said, adding, but, it’s also true that the same people ruled us for 30 years, providing a platform from which people saw suffering and agony—pain that we have felt.
The PC leader hoped that the new coalition will lead to a noticeable shift in J&K, and that the changelessness, the barrenness and the “cop-and-thief-game that favors power-sharing for six years” on either side will come to an end.
“Before any misunderstandings arise, I would like to clarify that this is only an electoral platform that addresses political and social concerns, and our approach will remain the same in this direction. I hope we’ll be able to provide our people a viable alternative,” Lone added.
The former minister and chairman of the PDF, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, said that J&K has witnessed such similar coalitions in the past and is well aware of their fate. As a coalition, Hakim Yasin said the PAC must be steadfast in its position.
The PDF leader called on the coalition partners to avoid using double-standards and to keep all of their promises for the greater good of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“You may already be aware of the fate of the several comparable coalitions that we have seen in the past. However, we are adamant and will carry out the commitment we make to the people of J&K. It will no longer be possible to speak one language in Delhi and another in Srinagar,” he said, adding Shamim Sahab’s party has also come to realize their place in J&K politics.
The founder of the Justice and Development Front (JDF) floated by banned Jamaat-e-Islami, Shamim Ahmad Thoker said they cannot succeed alone as unity is necessary to “serve people effectively”.
“It is a privilege for me to be here as the president of my party, JDF. We have been in talks with Sajad Lone and his party leadership for a while now, and we went to Hakim Yasin as well and finally decided to form an alliance,” said Thoker.
The JDF leader said the only way to effectively implement practical reforms and mould the people’s future is to unite on a common platform.
“Our relationship with Sajad Lone stems from the fact that his late father and our leader, whose memory we also hold in high regard today as well, shared a common interest. In view of their shared interests, we wish to proceed with the best interests of the country in mind. With the support of this coalition, we shall attempt to transform political volatility into political stability,” he said, adding that “ideological differences apart, we have to unite on a single platform to move ahead with a pro-people agenda”.
