Srinagar, Aug 23 : A team of civil society members comprising Advocate G N Shaheen a senior leader of Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHBA), Awami National Conference President Muzaffar Shah and Jagmohan Singh Raina President Kashmir Sikh Coordination Committee called on National Conference President Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar residence and sought his help in building a broader political consensus on protection of article 35 A.
Informed Sources told KNS that Farooq Abdullah during the course of discussions assured not only full support but offered to work for a united fight for protection of article 35 A to the civil society members Advocate G N Shaheen, a senior leader of Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHBA), Awami National Conference President Muzaffar Shah and Jagmohan Singh Raina President Kashmir Sikh Coordination Committee who are part of the coordination committee “We the People” constituted for protection of article 35 A. From the National Conference Farooq Abdullah was joined by party General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and senior leader Mohammad Shafi Uri in the discussions.
Farooq Abdullah during the course of discussion told the civil society member protecting article 35 A has become an issue of identity for the people of Jammu & Kashmir as granting property rights to non state subject would change the religious demography in the state and new law would be used to covert majority into minority.
Abdullah made it a point the similarly majority was changed into minority in Spain and this could change the fate of the people of all the three regions of the state.
Farooq Abdullah also told the delegation the scrapping article 35 A is a threat to the religious and cultural identities of all the three distinct regions of the state—Kashmir Confirming the meeting of the coordination committee called “we the people” advocate G N Shaheen told Kashmir News Service (KNS) “ the meeting was very cordial and rather a big success. We made it a point that united fight against attempts to scrap article 35 A will be above the lines of religion and region and people of all the three regions of the state would come together to continue struggle for protection of article 35 A till the final resolution of Kashmir issue”. Shaheen said Farooq Abdullah extended full moral, political and constitutional support of National Conference for a united fight against attempts to strike down article 35 A and informed that his party (National Conference) will convene a meeting of all legislators to press hard for the conduct of a special session of the assembly to work out a plan of action for united fight against attempts to strike down article 35 A. “The participants of the meeting resolved that article 35 A is not only a legal battle but part of political struggle for protecting special status of the state”, said Shaheen. (KNS)