Suhail Bhat
Srinagar June 30 : Jammu and Kashmir’s three regional political parties -People’s Conference, People’s Democratic Front (PDF), and Development Front (JDF)-today launched a new alliance, the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), which they described as an “electoral alternative” rooted in justice, unity and purpose.
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The alliance was formally launched at a joint press conference in Srinagar by People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, PDF president Hakim Mohammad Yaseen, and JDF president Shamim Ahmad Thokar.
“We have seen pain, and we have not inflicted pain. This is a platform where all have suffered, and this platform will lead to change,” Lone said. He added that his party had been in discussions with JDF leaders for the past few months before approaching Yaseen. “We are giving our people an alternative.”
Describing PAC as a “purely electoral alliance,” Lone said the group also seeks to address wider societal concerns. “The changelessness in our politics, the repeated game of ‘chor-police’ that flips sides every six years-we are done with that. We want to offer dignity and direction. We want one voice, one message-from Srinagar to Delhi,” he said.
Former Jamat-e-Islami member and JDF’s Shamim Ahmad Thokar said the decision to unite came from a shared responsibility towards the people. “We come from different political backgrounds but carry the same pain and goals. We have had enough leaders who speak one language in Delhi and another in Kashmir. That era must end. Those who have been jailed and those who have lost loved ones-only they can understand the real needs of the people,” he said. Click here to watch video
Echoing the sentiment, Hakim Mohammad Yaseen said the alliance aims to rise above party lines. “We are not here for positions or power. This alliance is different. We have decided to rise above our individual parties and work together. Our goal is political stability and a shared future,” he said.
The trio also released a founding document titled Declaration for Change, which calls for the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A, full Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, equal rights, and a general amnesty for political prisoners and conflict-affected youth. It criticizes the current reservation system as discriminatory and demands an end to the “politics of fear and confusion.”
“The future of Kashmir cannot be shaped by those who keep switching sides. If Kashmir is to move forward, it needs one voice, one roadmap, and one commitment-to peace, progress, and the people,” the document read.
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