Faesal, Rasheed announce alliance

M Aamir Khan
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, June 18

The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM), headed by former bureaucrat Shah Faesal, and the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, on Tuesday forged a pre-poll alliance for the Assembly elections. The collision has been named the Peoples United Front (PUF).

“The two parties decided to forge the pre-poll alliance owing to the prevailing situation and political uncertainty in the state. There are assaults on the special position of the state and there is a lack of credible political alternative. There is no political force that can give good governance and fill the political vacuum. We will make efforts to unite all people of the state irrespective of religion, region, caste and creed,” said JKPM chairman Javaid Mustafa Mir while addressing mediapersons here.

Rasheed said,” Forming a new front was the need of the hour. Let us assure the people of the state that we will not let them down....they are feeling let down due to the lack of credible leadership. There is a dearth of broad-based agenda of like-minded people who can take the state out of trouble. It is the agenda of hope. We appeal the Government of India...don’t deprive the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their political rights and hold the elections at the earliest.”

Faesal said the idea was to create and provide a “credible political alternative to the people of the state”. “The front is very inclusive and talks about justice to all,” he said.

On other leaders or parties joining the PUF, Rasheed said: “We are open to talks with anyone. We are sure we will give an alternative. We will not need support from anyone....I can assure you the PUF will make the new government. We have not come to politics for rehabilitation like others. We will provide a credible, corruption-free and nepotism-free government.”

He said they would strive for the political resolution of the Kashmir issue as a ‘vacuum’ had been created by regional parties such as the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party that “failed to live up to the expectations’ of the people”.

The new front also released an agenda of alliance that assured to pursue and facilitate peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, support all-confidence building measures between India and Pakistan, protect the special status and constitutional guarantees, including Articles 370 and 35A, protect cultural diversity, ethnic and demographic uniqueness of the state legislature with respect to political representation and delimitation of the Assembly constituencies.