Srinagar, Jun 18: Apni Party organised a Shikara rally on Dal Lake on Wednesday to “send a message across the country that Kashmir is safe and secure to visit”.
The rally was led by the party president, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and attended by prominent party leaders and hundreds of workers and supporters. It featured dozens of Shikaras decorated with Apni Party flags, making it a vibrant and festive atmosphere on the iconic lake.
Speaking with the reporters on the occasion, Bukhari said, “We wanted to express our solidarity with the stakeholders of the tourism sector. This event is being organised to send out a strong message to our fellow citizens across the country who wish to visit Kashmir — that we are eagerly waiting for you. We want to tell everyone that Kashmir is safe and secure like any other part of the country.”
He further said, “We organised this event also to express our solidarity with all stakeholders in the tourism sector — including houseboat owners, shikara operators, hoteliers, as well as tempo, taxi, and auto drivers — who are currently disheartened by the prevailing circumstances. We want to assure them that the Apni Party stands firmly beside them during these challenging times.”
Responding to a question, the Apni Party chief urged the government to step in and support tourism stakeholders who have suffered huge losses and a grave setback to their businesses following the horrific attack on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22.
“The government has to come forward to help the stakeholders who have suffered hugely. The government must intervene and extend meaningful support to them. Many among them are truly vulnerable and deeply distressed, and they definitely require immediate assistance and handholding from the government,” he said.
The event was organised by the party’s Youth Wing headed by Yawar Dilawar Mir.
