Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said the army’s probe findings in Shopian “encounter” admitting violations of Standard Operating Procedures and army conduct rules will significantly reduce the trust deficit and alienation among people in J&K.
Addressing a press conference here, Bukhari extended gratitude to the country’s top leadership, NSA and the army top brass for fulfilling their commitment to a fair and transparent probe in the incident.
“The firm stand taken by the army in this case will go a long way in restoring lost trust and confidence among people,” he said.
Bukhari hoped that stern action would be taken against the guilty and the victims’ families are paid adequate compensation at an earliest.
“Though the loss of human lives can’t be compensated through any means, the speedy justice can heal their wounds to a large extent,” he observed.
Bukhari also demanded early completion of magisterial probe ordered in Sopore youth’s killing, in a fair and transparent manner.
“These measures are not only essential for improving the accountability mechanisms but imparting more credibility to the security institutions in itself,” Bukhari said.
On the sudden spike in the number of COVID19 cases in J&K, Bukhari highlighted the gaps and measures that need to be taken to combat the pandemic effectively. He censured the administration for its contradictory claims about the healthcare infrastructure in government-run hospitals, the inadequacy of which was also a contributing factor in the rising number of fatalities due to COVID19.
“There is an acute shortage of oxygen supply, ventilators and beds in the COVID dedicated hospitals across J&K. There is bad management of the COVID situation in J&K and we need a dedicated approach from the government to stem the spread of this deadly pandemic. I call upon the government of India to help out the J&K administration at this critical juncture,” said Bukhari.