Elections crucial for revitalizing pace of dev: altaf bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEP 10: President, Apni Party, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, on Friday inaugurated party’s central office at M2 Church Lane, Sonwar, here in presence of the party leadership. On

this occasion, Bukhari reiterated Apni Party’s demand for immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and holding of assembly elections at the earliest to mitigate the miseries

of the people, a party statement said. “The people of J&K eagerly await a democratically elected government that will effectively address their pressing pleas at grassroots level.

Elections remain crucial for revitalizing the sluggish pace of the developmental works in the region,” Bukhari said, while pointing to the “governance deficit” in Jammu and Kashmir. He,

according to the statement, said that his party’s demand for statehood “resonates with the aspiration of the people of J&K” and the government of India must take a call on this pressing

demand. On the sidelines of the function, Bukhari held a brief interaction with the media persons in which he said that “even those political parties who earlier ridiculed Apni Party for its

statehood demand are now crying hoarse about its urgency”. “It’s extremely painful to see how J&K’s traditional regional political parties play with the peoples’ emotions. From

regretting not taking part in Panchayat elections to tagging restoration of Statehood imperative for progress, and claiming a big win in the forthcoming elections only exposes the selfish

designs of these political forums (sic),” Bukhari remarked. He said that these traditional political leaders must understand that they cannot befool the people. “We are not like these

political chameleons that change their stance from forming PAGD, boycotting elections, then diluting its position every now and then and now crying for participation in elections. Apni

Party’s stand is unwavering and it will remain so,” he said, “while recalling how Apni Party became the voice of people of J&K and ensured protections of their rights on land and jobs

recently”. Besides Party President, the leadership present on the inaugural ceremony included Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Party Senior Leader Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Vice

President Usman Majid, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, Provincial President Kashmir Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Party Youth Wing President and Mayor SMC Junaid Azim Matoo, State Secretary

Muntazir Mohi – Ud- Din, Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi, Provincial Vice President Kashmir Jagmohan Singh Raina, District President Srinagar Noor Mohammad Sheikh, District President Kupwara

Raja Manzoor, District President Baramulla Shoaib Nabi Lone, District President Pulwama Ghulam Mohammad Mir, District President Bandipora Shafat Qazmi, District President Ganderbal Javid

Ahmad Mir, Party Leader Yawar Dilawar Mir, Provincial Secretaries Nazir Ahmad Dailgami, Javid Ahmad Mirchal, Abdul Rashid Haroon and Irfan Matoo, Press Secretary Mr. Javid Ahmad Javid

(Trali), Coordinator South Kashmir Showkat Gayoor Andrabi, Coordinator North Kashmir Fazal Mehmood Baig, DDC Vice Chairman Srinagar Bilal Bhat, Provincial President Kashmir Women Wing

Dilshad Shaheen, Youth General Secretary Muzaffar Reshi, Youth State Secretary Salman Bhat, Youth Provincial President Kashmir Khalid Rathore, Provincial Youth Wing Coordinator Imtiyaz

Rather and Youth District President Srinagar Mohsin Zaffar Shah, the statement said.