Fresh confidence building measure to draw J&K leaders to meet
SRINAGAR: A day after the Centre sought to rev up political activity in J&K by calling an all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on June 24, authorities shifted detained PDP leader Waheed Para to Srinagar as a confidence building measure (CBM).
Another senior PDP leader and Mehbooba Mufti’s maternal uncle Sartaj Madni was released as a ‘goodwill gesture’on Saturday after nearly six months of detention. The twin gestures are expected to brighten the chances of Mufti attending the meet.
With the Opposition Gupkar alliance deciding to hold its strategy session on Tuesday, major J&K political players on Sunday went into a huddle with their senior party leaders to take a call on participation. PDP’s Political Affairs Committee was largely in favour of Mufti attending the Delhi meet, but party spokesman Suhail Bukhari said the final decision will be taken after Tuesday’s meeting.
The Centre has invited 14 J&K leaders for the meet. While there is no ambiguity on the participation of 10, it remains to be seen whether Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar, Mufti — under detention in 2019 — and Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami would attend it.
Deal street
Mufti had made her participation in the Delhi meet conditional to the release of Sartaj Madni and Waheed Para. While Madni was released on Saturday, Para was shifted to a Srinagar Jail on Sunday