1. Home
2. Front Page

Shah's round table meet on J&K disallowed

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 2/18/2020 1:29:09 AM

SRINAGAR, Feb 15: The authorities today did not allow a round table conference on Jammu and Kashmir by O P Shah’s Centre for Peace and Progress here.
The conference-“Jammu and Kashmir - The Road Ahead” was scheduled to be held in a local hotel here. Former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, who was in the hotel, was to take part in the conference, which was to be attended by members of civil society from Jammu and Kashmir and outside. National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi was also to take part.
Shah said some policemen arrived at the hotel this morning and got details about the conference from them. Later they came again saying the conference will not be allowed since section 144 CrPC is imposed here.” I asked them how a conference inside a hotel room can violate section 144 CrPC. We are not holding it outside. But they did not permit to hold the conference,” he said.
Shah added the civil society members, who had come to attend the conference, were not allowed to come inside the hotel. “They were asked to leave and so were the media persons. Subsequently, the conference was not allowed,” Shah said.
Shah said he had invited lawyers, leaders from political parties, doctors, media persons, and other civil society groups for the round table conference. He said earlier, similar conferences were held in New Delhi and Jammu, where civil society members from Kashmir also participated.
He added that they yesterday met Awami National Conference (ANC) president Khalida Shah, senior vice president Muzaffar Shah and senior National Conference leader Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal.
It may be recalled here that in Jammu conference the speakers had demanded that dialogue between India and Pakistan must start without any further delay and border tension must stop.
The speakers also resolved to end escalation of tension on border between the two countries and also expressed concern over scrapping of special status of Jammu and Kashmir without consultation of the people. Speakers expressed concern over the situation in the erstwhile state which is passing though the situation after August 5, especially Kashmir.
Shah at Jammu conference had viewed that restoration of democratic process in J&K is need of the hour quoting that violation of constitution is the serious concern of the speakers in the conference.
"This country can survive only as a secular democracy which is core of Indian ethos," he said and mentioned that Supreme Court should consider the issues pending before it to restore faith of people on the judiciary.
He added that people are suffering because of trust deficit and we need to work hard to create climate of trust among the people in J&K.