Constitutional amendments to JK: Guv Admin must leave such decision to elected government: Hakeem

Srinagar: While reacting to government of India decision of extending two central constitutional amendments to Jammu and Kashmir on recommendations of the governor, Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) President Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Friday said the Governor administration must leave such decision to elected government.
In a statement issued here on Friday, Hakeem Yaseen said,” We were not against granting reservation in promotions and reservation for economically-weaker sections of the society.
But the way it was done and the way the constitution of J&K is being fiddled, it is eroding the credibility of the democratic institutions. It was a constitutional decision and an elected government should have taken it.”
“The concurrence for extending these amendments was given by the governor Satya Pal Malik; the government of India’s own nominee, after the state administrative council (SAC) approved the proposal earlier this month. The governor administration must not take constitutional decisions and leave these to elected assembly,” he said.
The PDF chief said that by passing such amendments it seems BJP-Government is clearing way for revoking Article 35A and Article 370. “However, if any such misadventure is done, it will have serious repercussions and could further flare up violence and public uprising in the state. People will not tolerate and will be forced to come on roads,” he warned.
On Pakistan’s decision to release Wing Commander Abhinandan, the PDF Chief said, “It is a great gesture by Pakistan and Government of India must show flexibility now. Both the countries must take concrete steps now to revive the stalled dialogue process. Hope in future better sense prevails and the war clouds scatter.”
“Both India and Pakistan, throughout history after every war had to resume the dialogue process as war has not been a solution of problems between the neighbouring countries.
History testifies that the wars fought between the two countries neither resolved nor dissolved the Kashmir problem. Only peaceful dialogue can solve the issues between the two nuclear armed neighbouring countries,” he said.
“The history of wars fought by the two countries should make Indo-Pak leadership wiser and instead of raising war cries they should work for peace in the region. War cannot resolve problems, so wisdom is to resolve diplomatically,” Hakeem Yaseen added.
On recent arrest spree in the Valley, the PDF President said, “Right from 1947, nothing could be achieved by arrest sprees. These arbitrary mass arrests and nocturnal raids have created sense of insecurity among people. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas.
Curbing dissent and those holding a contradictory viewpoint is not democratic at all. On the contrary, such sections should be engaged.” “It is high time that the Government realizes all the political leaders and activists languishing in jails and also stops arrest spree forthwith,” he demanded.