Sajjad Lone led People's Conference pulls out of J&K's Gupkar Alliance

Sajad Lone led Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (JKPC) pulled out of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Sunday.

In a letter to Dr Farooq Abdullah, president, PAGD, Lone said, "It is difficult for us to stay on. There has been a breach of trust between partners which we believe is beyond remedy. The majoritarian view in our party is that we should pull out of the alliance in an amicable manner rather than waiting for things to get messier. And I am confirming that we will no longer be a part of the PAGD alliance."

"We are divorcing from the alliance, not its objectives. We will continue to adhere to the objectives that we set out when this alliance was made. And the PAGD leadership should be assured that we will extend support on all issues which fall within the ambit of stated objectives," Lone added.

The development comes two days before PAGD's scheduled meeting on December 21.

PAGD's last meeting took place in August last when the leaders adopted a resolution to restore the constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under Article 370 and 35A.

Speaking to reporters, Sajad Lone said, "I want to ask the National Conference, what has happened in the last six months that participation in the Delimitation Commission meeting was an endorsement of abrogation of Article 370 then, and not now? They need to answer this."

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) will meet Delimitation Commission on Monday

The Central government has constituted a Delimitation Commission headed by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai for the purpose of delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.