Srinagar: In a strong display of outrage and grief, the Apni Party on Wednesday organised a protest demonstration in Srinagar against the horrific militant attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists and left several others injured on Tuesday afternoon.
The protest was led by Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, who termed the attack “an assault on humanity” and a deliberate attempt to destabilise peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior leaders and members of the Apni Party assembled at the party headquarters in Sheikh Bagh, Srinagar, on Wednesday evening to protest the militant attack in Pahalgam. The demonstration was led by Party President Altaf Bukhari, who headed a procession towards Lal Chowk, the commercial heart of Srinagar. Holding black flags, the protesters raised slogans expressing solidarity with the victims and condemning the heinous act of violence. They also chanted slogans in favour of communal harmony and brotherhood. Talking to reporters Bukhari paid tributes to the tourists who lost their lives in the attack. He said “We are here to pay glowing tributes to the martyrs who fell prey to the bullets of militants at Pahalgam yesterday. We share in the grief of their families. It is a tragedy regrettable beyond words. The hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are crying over this loss. We are all devastated by the grief of this human tragedy. We are as much bereaved as the families of the deceased. We mourn that such a bloodbath has occurred in the valley once known and referred to as ‘Peer Waeer’—the land of saints.” Replying to volley of questions Bukhari said, “Militancy has no religion. No religion in the world permits the spilling of innocent blood. Security agencies must examine where there was a lapse in vigilance. The enemies of peace—those who do not want to see normalcy and stability in the region, and who resist the prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir like that of other parts of the country—will continue to disrupt peace. It is our collective responsibility to ensure peace and stability here.”
