Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari urges centre to initiate reciprocal CBMs to strengthen prevailing peace and normalcy in J&K

 

Addresses workers’ convention at Gulzarpora, Rawalpora

Calls on people to reject “deceptive politics” of traditional parties

Seeks release of detainees, relief in passport verification, and end to arrests & FIRs

Srinagar, May 1: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday urged the central government to come up with reciprocal Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) to strengthen the prevailing peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said, “People have played a vital role in ensuring and sustaining a peaceful environment in Jammu and Kashmir, and now it is the responsibility of the Government of India to come up with reciprocal CBMs to support this ongoing peace and normalcy here.”

“How long will our leaders and youth remain jailed? All the detainees, except those who are facing charges for heinous crimes, must be freed,” he said while addressing a workers’ convention at Gulzarpora in Rawalpora, Srinagar today.

He also called for an end to arbitrary arrests and the indiscriminate filing of FIRs.

Taking a dig at traditional political parties, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said these parties have consistently deceived people with lies, false promises, and emotional slogans. He also blamed the public for allowing these parties to exploit them repeatedly.

He said, “Despite knowing that these political parties have been deceiving you time and again, and that they return every election with false promises to seek your votes, why do you continue to let them exploit you?”

He added, “This ruling party made numerous promises during its election campaign. What has happened to those promises? Where are the one lakh jobs they pledged to provide soon after forming the government? Why have they not fulfilled their promise to regularise daily wagers? Where is the free electricity? Where is enhanced rationa quota? Where are free gas cylinders, and the other benefits they assured they would deliver?”

Talking about the recently surfaced allegations suggesting that the government has removed the mandatory “working knowledge of Urdu” requirement for Naib Tehsildar and Patwari posts, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari demanded that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah come clean on this issue.

He said, “I urge the Chief Minister to come clean on this issue and let us know whether the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has dropped Urdu as the official language and medium for revenue records and certain Revenue Department exams. We have no problem if Hindi has been incorporated as an optional language, but we will not allow the Urdu language to be removed.”

He further said, “Urdu is one of the languages of our country. It is cherished and used by people across all communities. It is also one of our official languages, and any attempt to belittle it will not be acceptable to us.”

Apni Party president urged that the police verification process for job aspirants and passport applicants be simplified. “Passports should be issued to our youth without unnecessary hurdles so they can go abroad in search of better livelihood opportunities,” he said.

Reiterating his view about the unjust reservation system, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, ‘This unjust system has to go, and it must go. How long will 70 percent of the population receive only a 30 percent share of jobs? This is highly unjust.”

Emphasising the need for the people of Srinagar to stand up for their children’s rights, the Apni Party President said, “I fully understand that the people of Srinagar are the worst sufferers of this unjust reservation system because they do not fall into any category. Most of them rightfully belong to the “Economically Weaker Sections,” yet they are not even granted this status. I know there is visible poverty in many localities of Srinagar. And, many families still do not have proper housing.”

“You will have to stand up for the rights of your younger generation and the future generations. I urge you to make up your mind, understand your rights, and ensure that your children are not exploited through the deprivation of their constitutional rights, he added.

Talking about the corruption and series of scandals regarding recruitment in the past, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “I was recently informed by a group of visiting students from Kashmir University that an official who was the Controller of JKSSB at the time of a widespread scandal—one involving allegations of bribery, question paper leaks, and so on—has now been transferred, not to punish him but to reward him. I am told that he has been appointed as Controller of the Public Service Commission, a body that recruits for gazetted posts. This is the state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari the prominent party leaders who were present on this occasion included party’s Chief Spokesperson & State Secretary Muntazir Mohiudin, Provincial Secretary Kashmir & Constituency In-charge Chanapora Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Provincial Orgainser Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Provincial Secretary Kashmir Shiraza Malik, Vice President Srinagar Dr Bilal Ahmad Mir, Coordinator District Srinagar Sheikh Nissar, Orgainser District Srinagar Shoaib Dar, Publicity Secretary Abdul Rashid Alie, Ward President Rawalpora Nazir Ahmad Dar, Ward President Bag-e-Mehtab Nazir Beigh, Najeeb Khan, Yasin Paray, Mohammad Yaseen Paray, Mohammad Shafi and others.