Altaf Bukhari urges centre to uphold dignity of J&K’s people

Srinagar, Jul 30: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday congratulated the security forces for eliminating the terrorists responsible for the killing of tourists in Pahalgam.

In a statement issued here, Bukhari appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to announce the release of the over 2000 people who had been arrested merely on suspicion after the Pahalgam attack.

He said, “I congratulate the security forces for successfully neutralizing the terrorists who brutally murdered innocent tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. In light of this development, I believe there is no longer any justification for continuing to detain the more than two thousand individuals who were taken into custody merely on suspicion following the Pahalgam terror attack. I appeal to the Hon’ble Home Minister to announce their release during the ongoing Parliament session.”

Apni Party President made this statement on Wednesday while speaking to reporters after a party event organised to welcome Dr. Harbakash Singh, the DDC member from Tral, and his associates— including several Sarpanches and Panches—into the party fold.

Addressing the occasion, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari urged the centre to uphold the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “Only the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been bearing the brunt of the actions of the enemy nation. Who faces the bullets and mortars fired from across the border? It is our people who die for the country—yet they are the ones being deprived of their right to a dignified life.”

He added, “I recently met a father whose son was picked up following the Pahalgam attack and sent to a jail outside Jammu and Kashmir. The father told me that his son has never been involved in any anti-national activity, nor is there any case registered against him with the police—yet he remains behind bars. What is his fault? Nearly two and a half thousand people have been arrested after the Pahalgam attack. What is the fault of all these detainees? The Centre must restore the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

After the event, speaking with reporters and responding to a question, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that “Apni Party has always believed and stated that the resolution of all issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir will come from New Delhi, not from anywhere else. Today, the traditional parties are echoing the same stance.”

He went on to say, “I am pleased that all political entities, including the ruling National Conference (NC), which were earlier part of the misleading alliance called PAGD, have now begun to acknowledge that the solution to the problems lies in New Delhi. This is exactly what we have been saying since the inception of the Apni Party in March 2020. These parties ridiculed and defamed us for stating this blunt truth, and now they are adopting the very same stance.” “Bilal Lone Sahib also acknowledged this truth recently, and I appreciate his courage in stating it openly and without hesitation,” he added.

Responding to a question about PDP, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “This is no longer the PDP that existed during the time of the late Mufti Sahib. The organisation has now been reduced to just a few pockets in South Kashmir. Earlier, the PDP used to boast that it would fight for a hundred years. Now, they have realised that such narratives find no takers in Kashmir, and therefore, they no longer speak of fighting. Not only that—earlier, the party claimed that visiting Raj Bhawan was a sin. But now, even its leader has abandoned that stance; she visited Raj Bhawan, met LG Sahib, and had a cup of coffee. This is how dramatically the PDP leadership has shifted—from pledging a 100 years of struggle to quietly sipping coffee at Raj Bhawan.”

Taking a dig at the ruling NC, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “I am disappointed with the performance of this government. It has the support of more than fifty elected members, yet it lacks the courage to take a stand for the interests of the people.”

Dr. Harbakash Singh, who, besides being a DDC member from Tral, also serves as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health and Education in Pulwama district and has been spokesperson of the PDP in the past, also addressed the occasion. Singh expressed his gratitude to the party leadership, especially President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, and said that he joined the Apni Party knowing it would provide the best platform to serve the people of his constituency. In his speech, he highlighted the pressing public issues the people of Tral are facing at present.

The prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion and who welcomed the new entrants included party’s Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, General Secretary Rafi Ah Mir, Additional General Secretary Hilal Ah Shah, Chief Coordinator & District President Kulgam Abdul Majeed Paddar, Provincial President Kashmir Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Chief Spokesperson & State Secretary Muntazir Mohiudin, Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi, Political Advisor to President Farooq Renzu Shah, State Youth President & Spokesperson Yawar Dilawar Mir, District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor, District President Ganderbal Javaid Mir, Provincial Joint Secretary Kashmir Tanveer Ah Bhat, DDC Awantipora 2nd Meema Akhtar, Ward President Natipora Arjumand Makhdoomi, Mufti Sarwar, and others.