Farooq Abdullah irate as Pak lauds his Article 370 resolution: 'We're no one's puppets'

Reacting sharply to Pakistan hailing the recent Gupkar Declaration in which six political parties of Jammu and Kashmir vowed to restore Article 370, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday asserted that "we are not anyone's puppets".

"Pakistan has always abused mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir but now suddenly they like us. Let me make it clear that we are not anyone's puppets, neither New Delhi's nor of anyone across the border. We are answerable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will work for them," Farooq Abdullah told PTI from Srinagar.

In response to a question on cross-border terrorism, the former CM of erstwhile state of J&K said, "I would urge Pakistan to stop sending armed men into Kashmir. We want an end to the bloodshed in our state." At the same time, the NC leader urged both India and Pakistan to resume their dialogue "for everyone's greater good". "Our people are being killed on both sides of the Line of Control every time there are ceasefire violations. For God's sake bring a halt to that", he added.

READ |  'Aim of the meeting was to check if NC leaders are free as govt claims': Farooq Abdullah 

Statement by J&K leaders who had signed Gupkar declaration 

After a meeting at Srinagar MP Farooq Abdullah’s residence on August 22, all these 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.

READ | 'Committed to strive for restoration of Art 370, 35A': J&K parties a year after Gupkar 

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."

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."

READ | Pakistan jumps at Farooq & NC's resolution to restore Article 370; adds Congress to mix

(PTI inputs)