On Friday, the former IAS Officer, Shah Faisal said, his recently launched Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM), will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“We have had several meetings of the core group of our party over the past few days and we have decided that we will not contest the Lok Sabha elections this time,” told The 2009 batch, IAS topper from J&K, Dr Shah Faesal.
Also added,”The unanimous view was that we are a party still in the stages of infancy and that we should also focus on mass contact programme. This was also our response to those elements who were accusing us of being stooges of the Centre for dividing votes in the current elections.”
Shah Faisal told media reporters that instead of taking part in the elections they will strengthen the party.
However, Dr.Faisal urged people to come out in large numbers to participate in voting process and choose the right candidate.
He said, “whether there is boycott or not, elections will be held and people will be elected to Parliament. So, people should take part in the democratic process so that the right candidates are elected.”
On JKPM’s stand on Articles 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution of India, he said that they stood for protection of these provisions, which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr. Shah Faisal condemned the recent death of a school teacher allegedly in police custody, alsalmost in the same period of time, the killing of a 12-year-old boy by militants after being taken hostage during an encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district.