Convene all-party meet in J-K to discuss prevailing situation: Mufti to Farooq Abdullah

Days after the Centre ordered rushing of around 10,000 central forces personnel to the Kashmir valley, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti asked NC president Farooq Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting in Jammu and Kashmir to discuss the prevailing situation.

Kashmir on Monday remained on the edge as fresh orders issued by state administration officials stoked speculations about the possibility of the BJP-led government at the Centre taking a major decision with regard to the special status of the state.

"In light of recent developments that have caused a sense of panic amongst people in J&K, I've requested Dr Farooq Abdullah sahab to convene an all party meeting. Need of the hour is to come together & forge a united response. We the people of Kashmir need to stand up as one (sic)," Mufti wrote on Twitter.

As uncertainty loomed in the Valley, mainstream political parties have started their efforts to seek clarity from the Centre with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah requesting for an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The NDA-led Centre had recently announced that 100 more companies (10,000 personnel) of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) would be sent to the state.

The government had said the troops were being deployed to strengthen the counter-insurgency grid and law and order duties in the Kashmir Valley.

Speculation is also rife that the Centre may have plans to do away with Article 35A, which gives exclusive rights to the state's residents in government jobs and land.

These speculations have dominated the discourse in Kashmir over the past few days. The mainstream political parties have, however, vowed to resist any such move to tinker with the special status.