National Conference to decide on future course

JAMMU - The Central Working Committee of the ruling National Conference is meeting here Saturday to draw up plans to showcase itself as the party fighting for the political solution of the Kashmir crisis, an official said.

At a time when the central government is mulling the idea of doing something concrete on Kashmir and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party is upping its ante on the Kashmir resolution, the National Conference is seeking to play its frontline role in deciding the course that the state should take when it comes to the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

“Yes, we are meeting in Jammu on Feb 19,” confirmed a CWC member of the National Conference. The party would also assess what all it has done within the government and outside of it in restoring normalcy in the state, especially in the valley.

It believes that the two major events, both involving Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had made it clear to the people that the NC was firm in its stand on all such issues, the party official said.

The first event was Omar Abdullah’s speech in the state legislative assembly Oct 6 in which he emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir had acceded to India and not merged with the country; and the second was the way he stopped the BJPs Rashtriya Ekta Yatra (national unity march) in January.