Srinagar: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has urged authorities not to harass youth in Kashmir and allow them to participate in August 15 celebrations, saying those who have suffered in the past should be given an opportunity to lead peaceful and dignified lives.
Bukhari made the remarks while speaking to reporters after an Apni Party workers’ convention at Wailoo in Tangmarg. He said that while security threats remained a concern, people must remain vigilant against attempts to disrupt peace.
“Our enemy will certainly try to disrupt the prevailing peace and calm, but with our vigilance and collective resolve, we have to foil any such attempt,” he said.
On restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Bukhari said the party’s approach remained the same as in 2020, when it chose dialogue with the Centre to seek protection of the rights of people over land and jobs.
Asked about the pending Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections, he said it appeared that the polls would not be held as long as the National Conference (NC) remained in power. He alleged that the NC was reluctant to empower people at the grassroots and make those in power accountable.
Bukhari also criticised the ruling party over what he described as failures to fulfil election promises, including providing one lakh jobs, free electricity and gas cylinders, additional ration, regularisation of daily wagers and enhanced old-age pensions.
He also claimed that the Apni Party had played a role in securing a domicile requirement in Jammu and Kashmir after the changes of August 2019. Bukhari said the party would seek to increase the existing 15-year residency requirement for domicile status to 50 years and work towards securing a constitutional guarantee for it.
Senior Apni Party vice-president Ghulam Hassan Mir, addressing the convention, urged the Centre to initiate dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address their concerns and bridge what he described as a prevailing trust deficit.
“Talk to them, listen to them, understand their concerns, issues and apprehensions, and address them,” Mir said, adding that dialogue was necessary to restore people’s confidence in the system.
Mir also criticised the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that both had become dominated by family politics. He said the Apni Party was seeking to position itself as an alternative to what he described as dynastic politics.
During the convention, social and political activist Bashir Ahmad Dar of Pariswani, Kunzer, joined the Apni Party.
The convention was attended by several party leaders, including Provincial Secretary Beigh Aftab, Baramulla district president Shabir Ahmad Shah, Provincial Publicity Secretary Kashmir Aamir Rashid Wani, former DDC members Tajamul Ishfaq Mir and Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, and other block and zonal-level functionaries.
