Former minister Abdul Haq Khan rejoins PDP

Former minister and two-time legislator Abdul Haq Khan on Tuesday rejoined the PDP after he had distanced himself from the party activities.

Khan, who got elected twice from Lolab Constituency and was PDP general secretary, before he quit the party two years ago. Even PDP had named his replacement for the constituency.

PDP president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti who visited Khan’s residence in Srinagar today said that he was a senior leader of the party who had disassociated from the party from some time due to current circumstances. “He (Khan) wasn’t feeling well, so I came to see him. Now he will again take part in party activities,” she said.

Khan hails from north Kashmir’s Kupwara and had served as a minister in the PDP-BJP government. However, after revocation of Article 370, the senior leader was put under house arrest, and he remained away from active politics.

Khan was also the general secretary of the PDP, and his resignation was termed a major setback for the party in Kupwara. “For the past three years, I have been away from politics. There were many reasons, including my health and personal issues, and I also didn’t feel that I could contribute to politics in the prevalent scenario,” Khan, who was representing the Lolab constituency, had said after his resignation.

In a statement later, Khan had said that the party’s decision to have a replacement for him has not gone down well with his supporters.

Khan is the second former minister and senior leader in north Kashmir who returned to the PDP. Earlier another former minister Basharat Bukhari also rejoined the PDP. Before Lok Sabha polls, former MP Fayaz Mir had rejoined party and later unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. With the entry of three leaders, the PDP will get strong in Kupwara and Kreeri Wagoora areas. After abrogation of Article 370, dozens of PDP leaders especially former ministers and legislators left the party and joined Apni Party, however, now the leaders have started returning to party as Apni Party failed to make its mark in recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and the leaders feel their political future isn’t safe in newly established political parties.

The PDP has announced the names of 22 party candidates from the assembly segments. The PDP has already hinted to contest elections alone from all 90 seats. In the last Lok Sabha polls, the PDP didn’t field candidates from two Jammu Lok Sabha seats.