President of the Awami Ithad Party (AIP)and leader of the Peoples United Front Er Rasheed on Thursday visited civil secretariat barefooted from site of sit-in to Chief Secretary’s office here to protest against what he called “ignoring the people of Karnah and Gurez.”
Talking to reporters on conclusion of sit-in here Er Rasheedsaid that government will have to do justice with the people of Karnah andGurez, who are living a miserable life for the want of proper roadconnectivity.
Er Rasheed said, “The three day sit-in must be a wakeup callfor the state and central government and steps should be taken to ensure thatwork on these two prestigious tunnels starts at an earliest, so that preciouslives, time and energy is saved. People of Karnah and Gurez do not need crossborder shelling, neither has Government of India and Pakistan have any moralauthority to make these places battle fields.” After concluding the sit-in ErRasheed along with Sheikh retired district and sessions Judge, GhulamNabi, from Karnah on behalf of civilsociety Karnah walked inside the civil secretariat to submit the memorandum tothe government.
Er. Rasheed said that walking barefooted to the civilsecretariat is just a message not for the government but the common masses toonot to underestimate the sufferings of people of border areas and we must treatthem as humans. He said, “While in most of the cities and towns people have gotmacadamized roads but isn’t it shameful that in Karnah and Gurez it takessometimes even a week to take dead bodyto its home.”
Er Rasheed submitted a memorandum to the government throughChief Secretary urging Union and State governments to take up the constructionwork for Karnah and Gurez tunnels in hand at an earliest. He added that he willbe writing to Union surface transport minister over the issue. “If government fails to respond positively,we will knock and rock power corridors in Delhi by peaceful sit-in and othermeans,” he added.