A New Political Front Formed In J&K; But Unlikely To Significantly Impact Region’s Political Landscape
BJP terms Article 370 restoration demand as 'daydreaming'
SRINAGAR: Sajad Gani Lone, former minister and chairman of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) on Monday announced the formation of a new political alliance called the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The alliance includes the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), led by Hakeem Yaseen, and the Justice and Development Front (JDF), a political party backed by a faction of proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir.
While speaking to reporters here, the alliance leaders said that its primary agenda is to advocate for the restoration of Article 370, abrogated “arbitrarily” by the Centre on August 5, 2019, along with addressing issues like political incarceration, reservation policies, and the restoration of statehood to J&K.
“The PAC has been formed with an aim to raise the issues of common masses, including restoration of the constitutional position that existed before August 5, 2019,” they said.
Lone said, “PAC is an alliance of those who have suffered. How would Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah know what is victimhood? They only know how to inflict oppression. This is a people’s alliance for change. It is not a third front and everyone can join us.”
He added, “We want reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir in the true democratic sense. The issue (failing health) of Shabir Ahmed Shah and Jamaat members including its chief Dr. Hamid Fayaz have come up. If the government is claiming that everything is fine here now, then give compassion and magnanimity a chance. You cannot keep people in jail forever. It has not worked for the past 78 years. Enough is enough.”
His view that while statehood is necessary, the reinstatement of the August 4, 2019 position is vital for the people of J&K was endorsed by PDF president Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, JDF president Shamim Ahmad Thokar and former ministers Imran Reza Ansari and Abdul Gani Vakil who were also present at the presser.
However, Kashmir watchers say that despite its ambitious goals, the PAC is unlikely to significantly impact the J&K’s political landscape for several reasons, particularly the fragmented political structure.
They point out that J&K’s politics are already deeply divided, with established parties like the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) dominating the regional discourse, particularly in the Kashmir Valley. The NC, which won 42 seats in the 2024 Assembly elections, and its ally, the Congress, have been the primary voices advocating for statehood restoration, overshadowing smaller alliances like the PAC. The emergence of new parties and independents during these elections, often perceived as BJP-backed proxies, further fragmented the vote, making it challenging for a new alliance to consolidate power.
Also, the PAC’s constituent parties, such as the PC and PDF, have historically struggled to secure significant electoral success. For instance, in the 2024 elections, the NC and BJP dominated with 42 and 29 seats, respectively, while smaller parties like the PDP won only three seats. The PC and other