Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) President Syed MohammadAltaf Bukhari on Wednesday took up the issue of J&K residents who arestranded in various states of the country with the Lieutenant Governor G.SMurmu.
Talking to the Lieutenant Governor G.S Murmu on phone fromDelhi, Bukhari sought his intervention in shifting of the stranded people ofJammu and Kashmir especially the students, pilgrims, labourers, businessmen andpatients who are stuck-up in different parts of the country in view of theCOVID-19 lockdown.
The JKAP president remarked that the Lieutenant GovernorMurmu has agreed in principal to facilitate and allow the return of residentsof J&K who are presently stranded at Madhopur-Pathankote and Lakhanpurentry points, today.
“There are around 4500 people of J&K who are stranded atthese entry points despite completing their quarantine period and testingnegative for the Coronavirus. I amhopeful from my discussions with the Honb’le Lieutenant Governor that all thesestranded residents of J&K including students, pilgrims and the businessmenwould be allowed to return their homes from today,” Bukhari added.
He said that the Lieutenant Governor G.S Murmu has alsoassured him that within next two days, the J&K government will alsofacilitate evacuation of the residents of J&K especially the students andpilgrims who are stranded at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Amritsar in Punjab.
“Similarly, the Honb’le Lieutenant Governor has askedinhabitants of Kashmir valley who are stuck up in various parts of Jammudivision to get themselves registered by approaching administration throughphone for their return to their respective places,” he added.
Bukhari urged the Lieutenant Governor to use his goodoffices to get all the residents of J&K especially the labourers andstudents who are stuck up in various states and cities of the country includingDelhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand, Goa, Kerala, Mumbai,Punjab, Haryana, Calcutta, Bhopal, Chennai, Bangalore and Himachal Pradesh toreturn to their homes as soon as possible.
“On the issue of stranded labourers and students, I informedthe Lieutenant Governor that the Rabi crop season in Kashmir and the applegrowers would get badly affected as the labourers required are stuck indifferent states due to restriction of their movement. Even most of thestranded students also belong to the farming community and they also extend ahelping hand to their families in this season. The Honb’le Lieutenant Governorassured me that his office will take the matter on priority,” he added.
While thanking the Lieutenant Governor for his concerntoward the plight of stranded residents of J&K, Bukhari said, his effortswill supplement the steps taken by the union home ministry in this direction.He said only collective efforts required in these testing times can address thesufferings of stranded people and families who are desperate for the return oftheir near and dear ones.
The JKAP president also extended gratitude to LieutenantGovernor for revocation of PSA detention orders against over 140 people whowere lodged in different jails in and outside J&K. Bukhari termed therevocation of PSA against the political activists a significant move that willhelp in mitigating sufferings of their families in these hard times.
“It has been JKAP’s consistent demand that all the politicalactivists and leaders including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti bereleased to ease up their sufferings. Their release is much needed in light ofthe COVID-19 outbreak that has undone all other priorities except for savingprecious lives,” Bukhari observed.
He said that hundreds of political activists who arepresently detained outside J&K jails like Ambedkar Nagar, Lukhnow, Allahabad,Agra, Rai Bareli, Agartala and Tihar need to be shifted back to their nativeplaces and along with those political activist lodged in central jails ofSrinagar and Jammu, be released at an earliest so as to ensure their safetyfrom the COVID pandemic.