Srinagar, July 14 (KNS): The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) on Tuesday said its Political Affairs Committee, after detailed deliberations, has authorised party president and Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rasheed to take the final call on the National Conference's invitation to join its proposed protest seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
In a statement, AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said the party has conveyed the National Conference's invitation to Engineer Rasheed through his legal team and has left the final decision to him in the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesperson said that while AIP has apprised Engineer Rasheed, through his legal team, about the National Conference's invitation to join the proposed July protest, the party believes the NC leadership must also reflect on its past political decisions.
According to the statement, AIP would remind Omar Abdullah of Engineer Rasheed's suggestion in 2024 that he should not have taken oath as Chief Minister under the Union Territory arrangement and should not have formed the government until complete statehood was restored. The statement said Omar Abdullah had himself described the position of Chief Minister under the present arrangement as that of the Chief Minister of a municipality.
The party claimed that despite AIP's advice, the National Conference chose to form the government before the restoration of statehood and instead ignored Engineer Rasheed's suggestion.
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The statement further alleged that Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti owe an explanation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the disappearance of the Gupkar Alliance. It also claimed that the alliance's approach gave the BJP-led Government an opportunity to consolidate its policies in Jammu and Kashmir while marginalising what AIP described as legitimate political voices, including Engineer Rasheed.
AIP also alleged that the National Conference had ignored its party (AIP) during the formation of the Gupkar Alliance while accommodating political formations that, according to the statement, "existed only on paper and nowhere beyond."
The spokesperson further alleged that the National Conference had sought votes on promises relating to the restoration of autonomy and constitutional safeguards but had now reduced its political agenda to the restoration of statehood.
The statement said Engineer Rasheed would take the final call on the National Conference's invitation after considering all aspects of the proposal and in the best interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)