Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and other senior party leaders extend a warm welcome
Apni Party President strongly reiterates demand for statehood restoration, release of detainees, and end to arrests, and easing of verification process
Srinagar, April 9: Prominent political activist from Srinagar’s Chanapora constituency, Jibran Dar, on Wednesday formally joined Apni Party, along with his associates and supporters. Dar and his colleagues joined Apni Party during a special event held at the party headquarters in Srinagar, where the party leadership extended a warm welcome to the new entrants.
Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, accompanied by senior party leaders, greeted Jibran Dar and his associates and expressed confidence that their inclusion would further strengthen the party at the grassroots level in the Chanapora constituency.
Addressing the gathering, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said it was a matter of great satisfaction for the party to welcome committed political activists who are dedicated to public service. “I warmly welcome Jibran Dar Sahib and his associates into the Apni Party. His induction will undoubtedly add strength to the party’s presence at the grassroots level in Chanapora,” he said.
Bukhari assured the new members that the party would provide them with ample opportunities to serve the people and work for the development and welfare of their constituency. “Apni Party will remain a reliable platform for dedicated individuals who wish to contribute to the welfare of society and the development of their areas,” he added.
On this occasion, addressing a press conference, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari strongly urged Centre government to confidence-building measures (CBMs), including a meaningful dialogue process with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the youth, to bridge the existing trust deficit between J&K and the Centre.
Bukhari was addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar today. On this occasion, the Apni Party President was flanked by his party colleagues.
Reiterating his demands, Apni Party President said, “We are not asking for anything new. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have already promised to engage in dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the right time to begin a meaningful dialogue to address the pressing problems faced by the people here. The people of J&K have chosen the path of peace and normalcy; now it is for the Centre to respond by initiating a sincere and meaningful dialogue.”
He went on to say, “Apni Party was established on March 8, 2020, to ensure that people’s issues are addressed and their miseries are brought to an end, especially those that arose after the events of August 5, 2019. On that day, we lost our special status and several other rights. Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood should be restored without any further delay. There should be an end to the arrests of youth, and police verification procedures for job seekers and passport applicants should be eased.”
“Detainees must also be released. The Hon’ble Supreme Court recently gave us a ray of hope by granting bail to Shabir Ahmad Shah. Similarly, other detainees who have been under trial for years without their cases reaching any conclusion should also be granted bail so that they can live peacefully with their families,” said Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari.
Taking a dig at the elected government he said, “In the Assembly elections, the Apni Party did not achieve success, and we accepted the public mandate, as that is how democracy works. However, 18 months have now passed. What has this government done to address the pressing issues faced by the people? Where are the one lakh jobs that the ruling party promised during their poll campaign? And what happened to their promise to regularize 1.2 lakh daily wagers?”
“Why are they not addressing the reservation issue? How long will 70 percent of the population receive only 30 percent of the jobs? Reservations should be implemented on the basis of the population ratio, so that every community receives its fair and rightful share,” he added.
He further said, “A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that nearly Rs 7,000 crore of Jammu and Kashmir’s budget remained unspent. This is extremely concerning. On one hand, the government has lost an opportunity to utilize such a significant amount for development, infrastructure, and welfare of the people. On the other hand, this unspent amount will be deducted from the next budget, further affecting future development plans.”
Talking about the horticulture sector, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “Over the past few years, we have repeatedly witnessed hailstorms damaging fruit crops and causing heavy losses to farmers. Unfortunately, instead of providing immediate and hassle-free compensation to the affected growers, the process is often made complicated and even politicised. I demand that in the event of such calamities, government officials should be immediately deployed to assess the losses and ensure timely relief for the affected farmers. Farmers should not have to wait while the process is delayed for political considerations.”
Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Chairman PAC Mohammad Dilawar Mir, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, Provincial President Kashmir Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Chief Spokesperson & State Secretary Muntazir Mohiudin, State Youth President & Spokesperson Yawar Dilawar Mir, President Women’s Wing Dilshad Shaheen, Spokesperson Ishrat Bashir, District President Srinagar Mohammad Shafi Mir, District President Anantnag Mufti Sarwar, Provincial Secretary Kashmir & Constituency In-charge Chanapora Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Provincial Secretary Kashmir Shiraza Malik, Provincial Publicity Secretary Kashmir Muzafar Ahmad Reshi, Provincial Coordinator Kashmir Shabir Ahmad Reshi, Provincial Joint Secretary Kashmir Aamir Ashraf Bhat, Provincial Joint Secretary Kahsmir Sajad Ahmad Dar, Senior Vice President Srinagar & Constituency In-charge Habba Kadal Jeelani Hamid Kumar, Vice President Srinagar Aijaz Ahmad Rather, Vice President Srinagar & Constituency In-charge Khanyar Mohsin Zaffar Shah, Vice President Srinagar Dr Bilal Ahmad Mir, Coordinator District Srinagar Sheikh Nissar, Orgainser District Srinagar Shoaib Dar, Member Committee District Srinagar Saima Jee, Shaista jee, Ward President Natipora Arjumand Makhdoomi, Ward President Budshah Nagar Imran Ahmad Lone, Ward President Hyderpora Sheikh Muzaffar Ali, Ward President Rawalpora Nazir Ahmad Dar, Ward President Baghat Mohd Shafi Wani, Ward President Bagh-e-Mehtab Nazir Ahmad Beigh, Ward President Mehjoor Nagar Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, Ward President Chanapora Bilal Shah, Former Vice Chairman DDC Srinagar Bilal Ahmad Bhat, and others.
