Shafat Malik

A senior political analyst closely watching the unfolding of events questioned the objectives of the PAGD and said that the recent statements emanating from the NC camp are baffling and must not be taken lightly. 

“Yesterday Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that the NC will sweep the polls. He also expressed regret on boycotting the Panchayat polls. These are big statements in the current context. He is not talking about the PAGD, he is talking about the NC. So where is the PAGD? Does Farooq Abdullah represent the PAGD or does he represent the NC because polls cannot be delinked from the PAGD. They fought the DDC polls together.  Today, Omar Abdullah said that he is neither answerable for Ms. Mehbooba Mufti nor the PAGD. He also said that he is not an office bearer of the PAGD. Then what is he and what is this alliance about? Is Omar Abdullah the bad cop and Farooq Abdullah the good cop of the PAGD. Or is Omar Abdullah the good cop of Delhi and Farooq Abdullah the bad cop of Delhi. It raises several questions about the intentions of the NC vis-à-vis the PAGD? 

Speaking to another analyst, he said that these comments have left the PDP in utter disbelief. 

“A lot of PDP members are gasping in disbelief that how can the son and the father play the good cop and the bad cop in Srinagar and Delhi. They have not taken kindly to Omar Abdullah not defending Mehbooba Mufti and on this they point out towards his private utterances which mimic Mehbooba Mufti’s utterances”, he said.

Speaking to another senior political analyst, he said that PAGD is now an alliance of convenience between parties rather than an alliance of ideology. 

Is PAGD relegated to an alliance of convenience from an alliance of ideology? Until a few days back they pretended to be this great ideological institution out to defend and protect Kashmiris from the onslaught of the Centre, as being the sole ideological institution. And today Farooq Abdullah seems to be drowning himself in the pursuit for power. Pure power sans ideology. And now Omar Abdullah almost mimics his lust for power in Jammu. So are these parties together for survival and is ideology a pretense is a question that will haunt them in the coming days and a question they cannot dodge anymore which they have to answer.