Srinagar, Dec 31: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Sunday said the party is committed to ensuring a shining future for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and its people. He vowed that if the Apni Party receives the public mandate through the democratic process, it will ensure the social, political, and economic empowerment of the J&K people and protect their constitutional rights.
Addressing the party’s public rally at Chichloora Kunzer in north Kashmir’s Tangmarg constituency, Bukhari urged people to value their votes and not misuse them by falling into the trap of emotional sloganeering and fake promises made by traditional parties.
He said, “Power lies with you, as it is said that people are the fountainhead of power. However, over the past seven decades, you have undermined the power of your vote by giving it away to traditional parties who only wanted to attain and retain power to create empires for themselves. Enough is enough; now you must use your vote wisely and not allow these conventional parties to allure you with fake promises any more.”
He went on to say, “Unlike traditional parties, the Apni Party does not belong to any political family; rather, it is the party of the masses. I request that you strengthen this party with your support so that it can implement its pro-people agenda, ensuring permanent peace, durable prosperity, and equitable development across Jammu and Kashmir. J&K has suffered hugely over the years due to political uncertainty and conflict. We have to change the scenario for the better, as the future of our youth is at stake. Apni Party is exceptional in having both the potential and the will to ensure a shining future for Jammu and Kashmir. I appeal to you to give us a chance to realise this dream.”
Applauding the Home Minister for taking action following the recent death of three civilians in Poonch, Altaf Bukhari said, “We are thankful to the Home Minister for ensuring action against the accused of killings of three innocent civilians in Poonch recently; however, it is imperative to ensure the same response for every occurrence of human rights violations. Such heartbreaking and shameful incidents cannot and should not be tolerated.”
However, the Apni Party President lashed out at the leaders of the traditional political parties for trying to take advantage of these unfortunate incidents.
He said, “The onus for each and every killing on this soil lies on the shoulders of these traditional political parties, who have been misleading people through emotional sloganeering over the years. They have always fanned violence here for their own political gains. As a result, we have lost lakhs of youth in all these years. Now, J&K people can no longer afford further deaths and destruction here. Therefore, these power-hungry politicians must stop trying to gain political advantage from deaths and killings like the recent one in Poonch.”
Addressing the rally, the party’s senior vice president, Ghulam Hassan Mir, appealed to the central government to hold assembly elections in J&K without any further delay.
He said, “I want to address the Prime Minister of the country, humbly asking him why the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being deprived of their democratic right to choose their own representatives if the region is treated like any other state or UT of the country.”
Mir emphasised that J&K needs an elected government to address grave issues such as rising unemployment and infrastructural deficits.
