Srinagar, June 22: Emphasising the need for confidence-building measures (CBMs) to enhance prevailing peace and strengthen democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, Apni Party chief Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take necessary action and announce the required CBMs to facilitate the ongoing transformation towards a more peaceful and harmonious environment in the region.
Bukhari in a statement issued here urged the Union Home Minister to announce CBMs, and said, “One of the major CBMs would be the announcement of assembly elections in J&K in order to enable the people to exercise their constitutional right to choose their own representatives, thereby promoting a stronger democratic process in the region.”
Urging to put a stop to the re-imposing of the Public Safety Act (PSA) on the prisoners, he said that since the situation has changed for the better in the region, there is no need to put people behind bars for an extended period of time again.
He said, “The individuals who have been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for their involvement in inciting violence and engaging in anti-national activities have undergone a significant transformation. Therefore, there is no need to re-impose the PSA on them again; Instead, it is important to consider granting them an opportunity to lead peaceful and normal lives. The mindset of the people, especially the youth, has completely transformed with the realisation of the dividends of a peaceful environment.”
“Even, those who earlier would believe in boycott politics are now eagerly waiting for the upcoming assembly polls so that the democratically elected representatives could take charge of the affairs here. Thus, this is the ripe time to take the required actions for fostering peace and strengthening democracy in J&K, which has been grappling with the unconducive (sic) environment for quite the past several decades. Holding assembly elections would help in fostering an inclusive and participatory environment where the aspirations of the people could be addressed effectively,” he added.
He further said post August 5, 2019 people in general were deprived of their rights and felt a sense of political disempowerment. But the holding of polls here would fade the sense of political disempowerment among the masses, he said.
He also stressed the release of the religious and political leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Moulana Abdul Rasheed Dawoodi, Moulana Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri, and others, and political leaders like Engineer Rashid.
“The release of religious and political leaders will fill the environment with a spirit of positivity. Also, given the vast influence of these religious leaders over the masses, they will be able to play an important role in helping eradicate social evils, including the prevailing drug abuse in the valley,” he said.
