Apni Party leaders receive a warm welcome at Maisuma public convention

Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari reiterates his demand urging New Delhi to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir

JK News Today

Srinagar, April 4: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday urged the government to introduce robust policy measures to ensure economic upliftment and growth for the residents of Srinagar city.

He asserted that the people of Srinagar have for decades remained neglected and deprived in terms of economic progress and empowerment, despite the fact that they have repeatedly bestowed their faith in the traditional political parties that ruled Jammu and Kashmir most of the time during the past seven decades.

He made these remarks today while addressing a public convention organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party at Maisuma in Srinagar. Enthusiastic residents gathered in large numbers and extended a warm and spirited welcome to Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and the accompanying party leaders upon their arrival at the venue.

Addressing the gathering, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari thanked the people of Maisuma for inviting him to the event and for reaffirming their support for peace and stability. He said it was unfortunate that despite their active participation in the Assembly elections, the residents of Maisuma and adjoining areas have been ignored by the ruling party in terms of initiating measures for their economic upliftment.

He noted that the strong voter turnout in the Assembly elections sent a clear message that the people have rejected the path of violence and are firmly committed to peace. According to him, the ruling party should have responded to this message positively after securing victory in the elections.

Lashing out at traditional political parties and their leaders for failing to make any meaningful effort towards the economic growth and development of Srinagar city over the decades, despite remaining in power for most of that time.

He said, “The politicians who remained at the helm for most of the past 70 years have played a significant role in disempowering the people of the city. In fact, the residents of Srinagar have been left in a pathetic condition and pushed into acute economic hardship by the very parties that ruled Jammu and Kashmir for decades.”

He went on to say, “Even today, poverty in areas such as Maisuma, Koker Bazar, and several localities across downtown Srinagar is visible to everyone. In many parts of the city, several families are forced to live in a single house due to a lack of adequate housing. Such difficult living conditions, he added, are leading to delayed marriages and, in some cases, no marriages at all, as many people cannot afford to marry because of insufficient housing and limited financial resources.” “Why did these traditional parties fail to improve the economic condition of the people here despite remaining in power for decades?” he asked.

“The saddest part is that the residents of Srinagar do not fall under any reservation category, which makes them ineligible for many government jobs. At the very least, the rulers should have ensured their inclusion under the “Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)” category so that they could receive their rightful benefits,” he added.

Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Apni Party President blamed regional political parties for their complicity in the move by New Delhi. He said, “First, these parties helped the Centre hollow out Article 370 over the decades and then finally became complicit in ensuring its abrogation on August 5, 2019. I appreciate the people for not coming out and risking their lives after the abrogation, as there were plans that could have led to a bloodbath of our youth following it. Recall how the police used to behave aggressively when these traditional parties were at the helm of affairs. Every time something happened, our youth used to be killed. Even from this place, Maisuma, many youngsters loss their lives during their tenure and were jailed; some of them are still in prison.”

“When these parties were in power, they sent leaders like Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, and others to jails outside Kashmir. They could have allowed them to remain in local jails here, but they chose instead to send them to prisons outside J&K,” he added.

The Apni Party President reiterated his demand that New Delhi initiate a meaningful dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, in order to win their hearts and bridge the gap between the Centre and J&K.

On this occasion, Apni Party’s Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, Provincial President Mohammad Ashraf Mir and other Senior Leaders also addressed the gathering. Besides these veteran leaders, the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included party’s Chief Spokesperson Muntazir Mohiuddin, President of Youth Wing and Spokesperson Yawar Mir, Provincial Secretary Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Joint Secretary Province Aamir Ashraf, Provincial Organiser Bialal Bhat, District President Srinagar Mohammad Shafi Mir, Senior Vice President Srinagar Jeelani Kumar, Vice President Srinagar Mhohsin Zaffar, Vice President Srinagar Aijaz Rather, Senior Leader and Ward President Arjumand Makhdoomi, Member District Body Mohammad Rafi. Member District Body Haroon Sahib, Member District Body Obaid Sahib, Member District Body Owais Sahib and others.