'Article 370 internationalised Kashmir; I'm the same with one difference': Farooq Abdullah

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, in an interview to a local newspaper in Kashmir, had said that Centre's move to abrogate Article 370 has ''internationalised Kashmir problem as never before''. Abdullah also pointed out US presidential candidate Joe Biden's statement on 'people's rights in Kashmir', and slammed the visit of foreign envoys to the Valley claiming them to be 'puppets'.

While he spoke nothing on the developmental works undertaken by the Centre in the valley and Ladakh, he asserted that mainstream parties in J&K will fight back to restore special rights in the Valley. In an indirect reference to those who did not oppose the abrogation and the detention of leaders in the valley, former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state told Greater Kashmir newspaper that he is the 'same Farooq Abdullah' with one difference that now he knows 'who our friends are and who the enemies are.'

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Statement by J&K leaders who had signed Gupkar declaration 

After a meeting at Srinagar MP Farooq Abdullah’s residence on August 22, five political parties of Jammu & Kashmir, who were the signatories of Gupkar Declaration of August 4, 2019, unanimously issued a statement for restoration of Article 370. “We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J&K and the restoration of the state and any division of the state is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be "nothing about us without us," NC president Farooq Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, JKPCC chief GA Mir, CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami, JKPCC leader Sajad Gani Lone and ANC leader Muzaffar Shah said in a joint statement.

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The joint statement said the signatories of the Gupkar Declaration have barely managed to establish a basic level of communication with each other due to a series of prohibitive and punitive curbs imposed by the government, aimed at impeding all social and political interactions. “The limited confabulations held within the constraints imposed have resulted in this unanimous resolution."

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Moreover, in their first meeting after a year of hiatus from the political picture of J&K, National Conference said that it is on a sacred mission to restore whatever was snatched from J&K on August 5, 2019. This was in line with the Gupkar Declaration passed on the eve of abrogation of Article 370 (August 4, 2019) at NC patron Farooq Abdullah's residence at Gupkar road. The then statement said: "All the parties would be united in their resolve to protect and defend identity, autonomy and the special status of the J&K against all attacks and onslaughts whatsoever."

Pak backs Farooq Abdullah & Congress

Backing the statement of Farooq Abdullah and other political parties of Jammu and Kashmir seeking the restoration of Article 370, Pakistan has said that it is a 'political resistance movement' against the 'BJP RSS government'. Speaking at a press conference, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Farooq Abdullah and leaders of Congress - main Opposition party of India- have raised their voice against New Delhi. In yet another attempt to intervene in the issue of the Abrogation of Article 370, Qureshi backed the recently issued statement by J&K leaders who were a part pf Gupkar Declaration on August 4, 2019.

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(Image from PTI)