Srinagar: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday urged New Delhi to restore dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the youth, saying confidence-building measures were necessary to end mistrust and the prevailing “negative environment” in the region.
Addressing a workers’ convention at Charar-e-Sharief, Bukhari said the present moment was appropriate for meaningful engagement between the Centre and the people. He also asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to immediately conduct Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections and called for rationalisation of the existing reservation policy.
He said the 2024 Assembly elections completed one tier of the democratic process, but grassroots empowerment would only be possible through timely Panchayat and municipal polls. Referring to the Lieutenant Governor’s address mentioning local body elections, Bukhari expressed concern that the elected government appeared “not serious” about holding them without delay.
Raising the issue of unemployment, the Apni Party president demanded concrete steps to create job opportunities for youth, stating that the recently passed budget lacked provisions aimed at employment generation. He also sought revision of the reservation policy to ensure “fairness and balance.”
Bukhari accused the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politically polarising people for electoral gains, alleging both parties criticised each other publicly while benefiting politically in their respective regions.
Explaining the formation of the Apni Party in March 2020 after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, he said the party was created to engage with the Union government during a difficult period. He claimed that meetings with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister contributed to safeguards such as the domicile law protecting land and government jobs for residents.
He further suggested that, if the government intended to safeguard local interests, it should consider increasing the residency requirement for obtaining a domicile certificate beyond the existing 15 years.
Bukhari also criticised traditional regional political leadership, accusing them of exploiting people through “false promises,” and said the Apni Party had suffered in the 2024 Assembly elections because it chose not to make unrealistic commitments. He added that while the events of August 5, 2019 had caused “deep wounds,” any resolution would ultimately come through engagement with New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, senior party leaders said restoration of Article 370 was unlikely without a parliamentary majority and claimed the party had helped secure the release of thousands of detainees after 2019. Party General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir highlighted local civic issues faced by residents of Budgam and assured that these would be taken up with authorities, while Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi appealed to people to support the party’s political programme and participate responsibly in democratic processes.
