PC manifesto vows restoration of Article 370, statehood

Srinagar, Sep 05: The People’s Conference on Thursday released its manifesto, promising the party would continue its fight for restoration of Article 370.

Besides, the manifesto promised to set up a judicial commission to probe electoral rigging of 1987.

“We are committed to fighting for the pre-2019 constitutional position for Jammu and Kashmir,” People’s Conference President Sajad Lone told media persons.

He said that his party would support all efforts within and outside the legislative forums to restore the honour and dignity of the people of J&K, particularly the restoration of Article 370.

The party in its manifesto said that it stands by its commitment to undertake all exhaustive measures to pursue the cause of the restoration of Article 370 and the return of statehood.

The People’s Conference also promised to set up a judicial commission to probe “elections rigging which took place in 1987”.

“We will set up a judicial commission to probe the murder of democracy in 1987 and hold its perpetrators accountable. It is our firm belief, that the source of major socio-political instability that continues to mar Kashmir even today is a derivative of that one cataclysmic event. The Great Robbery of 1987 - that of our rights, our young, our lives, and our collective destiny needs to be brought to account,” the People’s Conference manifesto states.

The party promised to put an end to the blacklisting of Kashmiris by security agencies, saying the practice that debars them from getting government jobs, passports, and contracts was inhuman and regrettable.

The People’s Conference also committed that it would strive to end arbitrary attachment of properties, destructive demolition drives, and unwarranted terminations.

The party continued that it would strive to repeal the Public Safety Act (PSA) and other draconian laws which had been used indiscriminately to punish Kashmiris during the past three decades.

“Further, the party will revive the July 13 Martyrs Day holiday to safeguard the ethos associated with Kashmiris,” the manifesto said.