Jammu/July,8 : Delegation of Pahari speaking peoples from border district Poonch, under the banner of Jammu & Kashmir Cultural & Welfare Forum met with Delimitation Commission Chairperson and other members herein Jammu on Thursday and presented detail memorandum.
while briefing to the commission delegation briefed that the Pahari Speaking People are residing predominantly in District Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara and other parts of the Kashmir valley having its compact population living at LOC from Sunderbani, Nowsherea, Jangad, Balakote, Jalas, Tetrinote, Abaspur, Uri, Tangdar, Keran and Karnah having total population in J&K as per census 2011 is 9.1% of total Population.
They demanded that while considering the process of delimitation of Assembly Constituencies of Jammu & Kashmir, the Compact Population of the Pahari Speaking may please be kept intact while providing the reservation to ST Population. That they are apprehending that due to any mis-representation the compact of the pahari population may be got changed without considering the practicability of the geographical compact area visa-vis physical feathers, facilities of communication and conveniences of the existing boundaries of the administrative units and these apprehension of PSP are required to be addressed judicially. They also demanded political reservation to pahari community which is long pending demand and under active consideration of GOI.
They also demanded that there is a need to create three more constituencies in District Poonch Known as one Balakote out of Mendhar Constituency, second Mandi out of Haveli Constituency and third Bufliaz out of Surankote Constituency by adjusting the appropriate boundaries, natural locations, convenience, physical feature, facility of communication in the existing units of Poonch District. Delegation comprises Ex Minister Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, Ex-MLC Mohd Rashid Qureshi, Harcharan Singh Baby President DGPC Poonch, Shamim Ahmed Ganai (BDC Chairman), Advocate Nadeem Ahmed Khan and Advocate Altaf Hussain Janjua.
