Hakeem urges Centre to ‘value J&K’s socio-political aspirations’

Srinagar, July 15: Chairman of the J&K Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen has urged the Centre to value the socio-political aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to win their hearts and minds.
“Instead of amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to give more powers to the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre should focus on restoring trust and faith among the people by reinstating democratic and constitutional rights, especially statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, and holding elections to the assembly, municipalities, and local bodies at the earliest,” he said while addressing a public gathering at Watred Khachwadi in the Khansahib constituency.
According to a party statement issued here, Yaseen said that by giving more powers to the J&K LG at this critical time, the Centre has raised doubts among the people about its sincerity in holding elections and restoring statehood in the near future. He demanded the rollback of the controversial amendment made to the J&K Reorganisation Act. “We are living in a democratic country, and critical decisions to make constitutional amendments should be left to the elected government only,” he said.
The PDF Chairman said the Centre should focus on bringing people closer to the mainstream rather than “creating confusion and mistrust through unilateral and controversial constitutional amendments”.
Hakeem said that holding early elections to the assembly, local bodies, and municipalities will help build mutual trust and enable people to elect their own representatives. “The people of Jammu & Kashmir have been continuously deprived of their elected assembly and democratic rights for the past nine years, creating an atmosphere of political and social uncertainty. There is no response from the administration to public demands at the grassroots level, and common people are completely deprived of basic facilities,” he observed.
The former minister assured the people of Jammu & Kashmir that their rights to land and jobs would not be compromised under any circumstances. He called for a massive central employment package with a commitment to regularise the services of about 60,000 daily wagers working in various government departments and undertakings.
Yaseen added, “The people of Jammu & Kashmir are fed up with violence and unrest and desire to live peaceful lives with dignity. There is a need to heal the wounds of the people and respect their self-respect.”