NC, PDP not invited to APM on Indo-China standoff

Nasir Azam

Srinagar, June 19: Jammu & Kashmir's main regional parties –National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party- were not invited to an all-party meeting held on Friday over India- China standoff along the Line of Actual Control.

Both the recognised regional parties from J&K did not get any invite for the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the standoff whose epicenter is Ladakh region which was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir before October 31, 2019.

National Conference Member Parliament from Anantnag, Justice (retd.) Hasnain Masoodi said they did not get any invite for the meeting. PDP's Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway also said that nobody from their party was invited.

Both NC and PDP have representation in the Parliament. While NC has three MPs in Lok Sabha, PDP has two MPs in Rajya Sabha. The meeting held through video conferencing saw participation of all recognised national parties, those with more than five MPs in the Lok

Sabha, leading parties from the northeast and parties with Union cabinet ministers.

Smaller parties like National People's Party (NPP), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and Mizo National Front (MNF) from Northeastern States were also invited to the meeting.

The meeting was held days after violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh which left 20 Indian Army personnel dead.