New political front floated in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: With Lok Sabha and Assembly polls due next year, several marginal political outfits in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday floated People`s United Front (PUF), a `Third Front` meant to provide alternative policies to those of major political outfits in the state.

The front was launched at a public rally organised by the constituent parties at Sher-e-Kashmir Municipal Park here. "It is an alternative platform to provide alternative policies to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is not just for elections only," CPI(M) State secretary M Y Tarigami, one of the constituents of the new front, said in his address to the rally. Tarigami said he will seek support of intellectuals, civil society and like-minded political groups and leaders for the new platform in order to solve the problems faced by the people of the state. The other constituents of the `Third Front` are Sheikh Abdul Rehman (Samajwadi Party), Sanjay Saraf (Lok Jana Shakti Party), Abdul Rehman Tukru (CPI), independent MLA from Khansahib Hakim Mohammad Yasin and former member of Parliament Abdul Rashid Kabuli. The state Assembly elections are also scheduled towards the end of 2014. The leaders of the front called on India and Pakistan to put an end to hostilities along the Line of Control and international border in Jammu and Kashmir. They also called for resumption of dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad to find an "honourable and dignified" solution to the Kashmir issue. The leaders demanded the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act should be revoked along with the Public Safety Act passed by the state legislature. The other leaders called for returning the power projects operated by NHPC in the state to the local government as recommended by one of the working groups set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the Round Table Conference in 2005.