PDP announces protests on August 5

Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday announced that her party would hold peaceful protests at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 to press for the restoration of Article 370 and “resolution of the Kashmir issue”. The Centre revoked J-K’s special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019.

“All our people, who are sitting here, will hold peaceful protests in their districts on August 5 for the restoration of Article 370, 35A, and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue,” Mehbooba Mufti said on the occasion of the PDP’s 27th foundation day.

The announcement comes close on the heels of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, ministers, MLAs and party workers holding a protest in the national capital on July 20, demanding the immediate restoration of statehood to the Union Territory. Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister, said that August 5 was the day “everything was stripped from us”. She said the party, on its foundation day, has passed a resolution including on “resolution of Kashmir issue”. “The party hereby resolves to reaffirm its belief in ‘peace with dignity’ as the only sustainable path towards lasting peace, through dialogue, reconciliation, confidence-building and meaningful democratic engagement among all stakeholders,” the resolution read. She said PDP is committed to “peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue”, alongside the restoration of Article 370, Article 35A, “our identity, and statehood”. “PDP remains committed to this cause. We will continue our struggle, and God willing, we will achieve it,” she said.