Srinagar, Nov 16 (Agency) Sajad Lone on Wednesday took oath of office as President Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Conference. The oath was administered by Chairman Election Authority of the party Basharat Bukhari, a party statement said. Lone, son of People’s Conference founder Abdul Gani Lone, was elected unopposed as the party’s president on November 2. Lone quit separatist politics and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from north Kashmir. In 2014, Sajad won from Handwara in Kupwara district and later became a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition. While speaking after taking oath, Lone described the current times as distinctively painful and politically unique in terms of the challenges that it poses to the different sections of leadership in J&K today.
“Leadership has different definitions at different times and in present times leadership will entail saving people, leadership would mean preserving our youth and leadership demands speaking the truth to the people,” he said. Lone said one of the easiest things in politics is to resort to lies and innuendo. And the most difficult thing is to speak the truth in the face of adversity. “We in the Peoples Conference will strive to ensure that we speak the truth and lead with honesty and courage,” he said “It’s time that the leadership variables are reset. Let leaders lead with the courage to speak the truth and let the people of J&K follow those who speak the truth.
Safeguarding the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, is the biggest leadership challenge in current times and that the Peoples Conference will do everything in its power to protect a common Kashmiri from being victimised.” he added. Lone further asserted that People’s Conference is the party that has the legacy of sacrifice and will continue to strive to accord people a dignified way of living. “We will make every effort to promote political inclusiveness and tirelessly strive to restore and retrieve the glorious political legacy that the people of J&K deserve. A unique legacy which we all cherished and zealously guarded for so long. We will do what it takes to ensure that legacy is restored”, Lone added.