People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration- for the restoration of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is an alliance of seven parties in Jammu and Kashmir that is seeking the restoration of the erstwhile state’s special status, which was revoked by the Centre in August last year.

Attacking the alliance’s move to seek support from other countries, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday claimed the “unholy global gathbandhan” was against the country’s national interest and termed the alliance ‘Gupkar Gang,’ sparking a political row.

After a meeting held at Mehbooba’s house, Abdullah, who turned 84 earlier this week, said the alliance is fighting for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and is an “anti-BJP platform” and not an anti-national amalgam.

“I want to tell you that this is false propaganda by the BJP that the PAGD is anti-national. I want to tell them that this is not true. There is no doubt that it is anti-BJP, but it is not anti-national,” he told reporters here.

Abdullah alleged that the BJP has tried to break the federal structure through acts like the abrogation of Article 370 and dividing Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.” They have tried to destroy the Constitution of the country, they have tried to divide the nation, to break the federal structure which we saw what they did on August 5 last year,” the NC president said.

“I want to tell them that this (PAGD) is not an anti-national jamaat. Our aim is that the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh should get their rights back. That’s where our battle is. Our battle is not for more than that,” he said.

The amalgam, which met for the first time after its formation, will come out with a white paper within one month on governance in Jammu and Kashmir over the past one year since the abrogation of article 370, Lone told reporters after the meeting.