Srinagar, Dec 7: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari Thursday said that Jammu and Kashmir is destined to remain an integral part of the country.
A statement of Apni Party issued here said that addressing a public rally at Bandipora, Bukhari urged the people not to fall prey to “deceptive slogans propagated by traditional political parties”.
“Apni Party would ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir receive all the rights they are entitled to according to the constitution of the country,” Bukhari said.
He said that the party’s primary agenda is to ensure permanent peace and harmony in J&K so that people of this region can live and prosper in a peaceful environment.
“Unlike traditional political parties, we do not pursue unattainable goals, nor do we believe in emotional sloganeering. Such practices have inflicted deep harm on the interests of the people, leading to destruction and bloodshed in our land. Over the years, we have already lost lakhs of our youth, and we cannot afford further violence on this soil. The main agenda of the Apni Party is to ensure a peaceful environment so that the future of our young generations is secured and people can live in peace and harmony. A lasting peace will eventually pave the way for the prosperity of our people,” Bukhari said.
Speaking about the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A, Bukhari said whatever occurred on August 5, 2019, would always haunt the people of J&K.
“People can never forget what happened on August 5, 2019. Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood, and it was bifurcated into two regions. It will haunt us always,” he said.
However, Bukhari cautioned people not to trust the traditional parties who claim that they will get the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A undone.
“These parties sought your votes in the 2019 parliamentary elections, promising to protect these articles from being abrogated. You trusted them, gave them a mandate, and sent three of their candidates to parliament. However, even then, they could not save Articles 370 and Article 35-A. They did not even bother to protest against the central government’s move. At the very least, their MPs should have resigned in protest of the revocation of these articles,” he said.
“How can you trust them again when they claim that they will undo the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A?” Bukhari said.
About the creation of the Apni Party, he said, “Post-August 2019, during the period of deep uncertainty and complete chaos in Jammu and Kashmir, all businesses were closed down, and thousands of people had been put behind bars. Faced with this situation, we found ourselves with only two options: to remain silent, as the traditional political parties and their leaders did, or to come out and stand by the people who were in distress at that time and needed leadership. We chose the latter.”
Bukhari said, “We formed the Apni Party and went to meet the leaders of the central government in Delhi. We successfully convinced them that they should not take any actions that could harm the demography of Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, we advocated for the exclusive rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the land and jobs in the region. Our efforts were fruitful as we persuaded the government in Delhi to issue an official announcement assuring that no demographic changes would occur and the people of Jammu and Kashmir would retain exclusive rights to land and jobs in the region.”
He promised that if the Apni Party was mandated to form a government in J&K, it would ensure that the people receive their constitutional rights and ample employment opportunities are created for the youth.
Chairman of the Apni Party’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC), Muhammad Dilawar Mir said party’s Vice Presidents, Usman Majid and Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir.