Srinagar, Nov 06: Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to supporting any resolution aimed at restoring Article 370, Article 35A and the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as condemning the “majoritarian actions” that have affected the J&K.
His remarks came after his party supported a resolution brought forward by the National Conference (NC) in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
“We have always said that we will support anything related to the restoration of Article 370, 35A, and the restoration of statehood,” Lone said. “We supported the PDP’s resolution earlier, which unfortunately was not put to a vote, and today we supported the NC’s resolution, even though we didn’t know the exact wording of the resolution until the last moment.”
The PC chief said his party had already submitted a notice seeking an adjournment under Rule 56 to discuss the events of 5 August 2019, its impact on the people of Jammu and Kashmir and on the federal structure. However, they chose not to press for this adjournment once the resolution was circulated, he said.
The MLA Handwara said, “This assembly is the first elected body of representatives from Jammu and Kashmir after the events of 5 August 2019. The resolutions passed here represent the will of the people of the region, and they have significant moral, political, and legal implications.”
Expressing support for the resolution put forward by the NC, Sajad said it was just the beginning. “This resolution needs to be stronger and more explicit. We need to be clear in our condemnation of the 5 August 2019 changes and call for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s status to what it was before that date,” he added.
Lone also said his party had submitted amendments to the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address, with the aim of explicitly condemning the constitutional changes made on 5 August 2019. He expressed hope that the House would support these amendments to remove any ambiguity.
“This resolution should leave no room for interpretation. It must firmly state that the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as expressed in this Assembly, is for the region to be restored to its pre-5 August 2019 status,” the PC chief said.
