Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Dec 14: Former MLA Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar was conspicuous by his absence at a political gathering addressed by former chief minister Omar Abdullah and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Ishfaq, who represented Ganderbal assembly segment in the last assembly of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, was not present in the workers’ convention held by the party at the district headquarters.
Sources said that Ishfaq was present in Ganderbal town Tuesday when Omar Abdullah was addressing the rally.
“He did not attend the meeting and instead was present at a function where his wife Nuzhat Ishfaq, DDC chairperson Ganderbal, inaugurated the newly constructed DDC office,” they said, adding that 200-300 people including three DDC members, were also present in the function attended by Ishfaq and his wife.
Ishfaq did not respond to repeated calls.
Ganderbal assembly segment is considered a stronghold of Abdullah family but Omar lost to Qazi Afzal of PDP in 2002 from the segment. But he managed to win the 2008 assembly election from the segment.
It is worthwhile that Omar Abdullah has repeatedly maintained that he will not contest assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir till full statehood is restored.
“I have been leader of the assembly of the state. In its time the most empowered assembly. I cannot and will not be a member of what is now one of the most disempowered assemblies in the country. It’s as simple as that,” Omar had said.
