Political unity in J&K our vision: Apni Party

Srinagar, Jun 2: Apni Party chief spokesman and state secretary Muntazir Mohiuddin on Tuesday said that the idea of political unity in the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was originally advocated by his party.
“The proposal for unity in the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is essentially the brainchild of the Apni Party, and we have been appealing for it,” Mohiuddin said in a statement of the party issued here.

He made it clear that the Apni Party would welcome and support any genuine initiative, regardless of who initiates it, as long as it serves the interests and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mohiuddin said, “Despite the fact that Mehbooba Mufti excluded the Apni Party from her proposal, given her history of undermining political unity, we still welcome the initiative.”

He said, “Everyone is aware that Apni Party has consistently urged all political parties to come together and collectively advocate for the rights of Jammu and Kashmir before the Central Government. We have always maintained that all parties should unite and jointly meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to present and pursue the legitimate aspirations and genuine demands of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Mohiuddin recalled that the party’s call for collective political engagement received a positive response only once, when National Conference President Farooq Abdullah announced an all-party meeting in the year 2023.

“Unfortunately, that meeting was postponed the very next day and never took place thereafter, despite the urgent need for a united political voice,” he said.
Referring to a public convention held in Jammu on May 24, Mohiuddin said, “Recently, Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari, while addressing a public convention in Jammu, emphasised that we must draw inspiration from the leadership of Ladakh and Kargil, who set aside their differences, engaged collectively with the Centre, and succeeded in securing significant gains for their people.”

Highlighting the unparalleled contribution of Apni Party after the Centre abrogated Article 370 and 35-A, he said, “It was the Apni Party that played a decisive role in protecting the land and job rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir following New Delhi’s abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. At a time when there was neither a Legislative Assembly nor an elected government in place, we took the initiative to engage directly with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in New Delhi.”

“Through our efforts and engagement, we succeeded in ensuring that the exclusive rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir over land ownership and government employment were protected and retained,” Mohiuddin said.

Slamming Mehbooba Mufti for omitting the Apni Party while appealing for political unity, he said, “We are not surprised by Mehbooba Mufti’s decision to exclude the Apni Party. Her political record reflects a pattern of fostering divisions rather than building consensus among political parties and stakeholders.”

“At a time when unity is essential for effectively advocating the interests of Jammu and Kashmir, such exclusionary politics serves no constructive purpose. The decision to leave out the Apni Party appears to be a continuation of the same approach that has, over the years, undermined broader political unity in the region,” Mohiuddin said.

He said that despite the criticism, the Apni Party welcomes any initiative of unity and supports any genuine effort aimed at creating unity among political parties for the restoration of J&K’s rights.