Gupkar alliance huddle at 11am today ahead of Modi’s all-party meeting

Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah will chair the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD)’s meeting at his residence. His NC and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, which is another constituent of PAGD, have authorised their chiefs to take the final call over the issue

The constituents of an alliance formed in Jammu & Kashmir last year for the restoration of the region’s special status will meet in Srinagar on Tuesday to formulate a strategy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s all-party meeting on the erstwhile state on Thursday.

Leaders of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in Srinagar earlier this month. (File photo)

Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah will chair the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD)’s meeting at his residence. His National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party, which is another constituent of PAGD, have earlier held the meetings of their parties and authorised their chiefs to take the final call over the issue.

“The invitations have been extended to all the leaders of PAGD and everybody is likely to attend this meeting in which the alliance leaders will make a decision about the strategy,” PAGD spokesman Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami said. He added a joint strategy will be adopted after consulting all the leaders of the alliance.

Tarigami, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has also been invited to Modi’s meeting.

People aware of the matter said after PAGD’s meeting, a statement is likely to be issued.

Abdullah, who is among 14 leaders invited for Modi’s meeting, has been holding consultations with senior NC leaders over the first such engagement with the Centre since Jammu & Kashmir was stripped of its semi-autonomous status in August 2019. The erstwhile state was also split into two Union territories.