Srinagar, Nov 14: Terming tall claims of good road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir rural areas as a paper horse of Government, AamAadmi Party’s state spokesperson SheemaFarooqi Monday said that recent incident of Handwara is an eye opener for all and it shows that people in our rural areas are still deprived of basic developmental facilities.
In a press statement, state spokesperson of AamAadmi Party, SheemaFarooqi said that connectivity and development of an area are interdependent but many areas in Jammu and Kashmir are still devoid of surface connectivity putting life of people living there in misery.
She mentioned a recent unfortunate incident in which a pregnant lady in Handwara in Kashmir valley was to be carried on the shoulder by her relatives so she could reach a hospital to give birth but due to non-connectivity of their village, she had to give birth on the way and could never reach the hospital.
“She was one lucky woman to have survived this misfortune but others might not be lucky enough, do we need to face casualties due to such unreasonable facts as well?,” SheemaFarooqi questioned the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
Farooqi also said that Jammu and Kashmir is a region which had been claimed to have been developed after the statehood was taken away but if developed means the non-availability of even the most basic amenities then we do not want to be ruled by the LG administration.
She further asked Jammu and Kashmir LG administration to conduct an audit on availability and non-availability of roads in rural areas and to bring in a special policy for overcoming the shortcomings.
SC lawyer JKPM vice-president, founding member Syed Iqbal Tahir joins PDP
Srinagar, Nov 14: J&K Peoples Movement (JKPM) vice-president and founding member Syed Iqbal Tahir Monday joined Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in presence of Mehbooba Mufti, President PDP along with party general secretary and former minister AdvGhNabi Lone Hanjura at party headquarters Srinagar. Along with him, hundreds of his supporters from Anantnag district also joined PDP.
Addressing the gathering at PDP office, Iqbal Tahir said that the illegal abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India was a momentous milestone in the chequered political history of Jammu & Kashmir and the abrogation has wiped-off any trace of the ‘special status’ that people of J&K had enjoyed under the constitution.
He further alleged that successive central governments have let down the people of J&K by diluting the special status agreed at the time of accession.
Justifying his joining PDP, Iqbal Tahir said that it was his firm belief that in order to achieve the “larger goal”, younger political activists like him have an obligation to bolster such political forces who are much better placed and equipped to make the dream of restoration possible.
He said that PDP was at the forefront of restoration of the special status and has strongly represented the voice and aspirations of people of J&K in a post-August 2019 scenario. He urged other members of his erstwhile party JKPM to also join PDP.
A resident of Anantnag, Syed Iqbal Tahir is a Supreme Court lawyer. He is an alumnus of Bristol Law School, UK and has attended a leadership programme at Harvard University, USA.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed Iqbal and said the party was open to promising youth.
