Poonch, May 19: Apni Party Vice President and party’s candidate from Rajouri–Anantnag Parliamentary seat, Zafar Iqbal Manhas on Sunday accused the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party of promoting dynastic rule in Jammu and Kashmir by suppressing the aspirations of the people of Pir Panjal and other parts of the erstwhile state.
As a part of the election campaign, Manhas addressed public meetings at Fazalabad as well as in Surankote. In his address, he said, “NC and PDP compromised the democratic values to stay in power and misled the people by exploiting them emotionally in the name of autonomy and self-rule.”
“Both these traditional regional parties have forgotten to promote their respective agenda of autonomy and self-rule in the ongoing elections because they know that they have been exposed and the people are not going to believe them anymore,” he said. “Both these parties denied constitutional rights to the Pahari tribes for decades. These regional parties humiliated the leaders who raised their voices in favour of the Pahari tribe to keep their dynastic regime unchallenged in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the situation has changed now as the Pahari tribes have got their due constitutional rights.”
He also held the politicians from NC and PDP responsible for terrorism in the Pir Panjal region as well as in Kashmir which resulted in the killing of innocent people.
“The NC leadership shall be held accountable for their misdeeds from 1931 till date in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Manhas said the people were kept busy with a “divisive” agenda so that they do not ask for basic amenities. “The Pir Panjal does not have a railway link, proper road connectivity, and medical care. However, if I am voted for Lok Sabha, I will leave no stone unturned to get a separate Parliamentary seat for Rajouri-Poonch, Hill Development Council, fast completion of the railway line to connect Jammu-Poonch, promotion of the tourism spots, exploration of new tourism sites to boost local economy and explore employment, stop the migration of the people, construction of two tunnels i.e. Peer Ki Gali, and Dera Ke Gali on Mughal road, to provide basic amenities, and improve health and educational infrastructure,” he said.
