Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 9: Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari today urged the Centre to fulfil its commitments to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, stressing the need for dialogue, release of detainees, and timely job creation for the youth.
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Addressing a press conference here, Bukhari said that people in the Union Territory have “chosen the path of peace over the past five to six years,” and now expect the Government to respond with meaningful steps. He said that dialogue is the only solution and urged the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Home Minister, Amit Shah, to engage with the people as promised earlier. “We are not seeking anything beyond what was assured by the Prime Minister, including dialogue and economic opportunities,” he said.
Bukhari also welcomed the Iran-US ceasefire and said he hopes it becomes permanent. He added that such global peace efforts give hope to people living in conflict areas like Kashmir.
On detentions, Bukhari said many residents from Jammu and Kashmir are still in jail without trial. “Justice demands that they be bailed out,” he said. He added, “about 3,200 detainees were released in March 2020 after our meetings with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, but many others are still in custody,” he said.
He welcomed the release of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah after a Supreme Court order and said he hopes more such cases will be reviewed.
Bukhari said the region has faced hardships for decades, and the developments of 2019 were a major turning point that affected people’s identity and led to many detentions. He also raised concerns about ongoing verification processes and delays in job creation, saying that promised employment has not been delivered.
Criticising the ruling National Conference Government, Bukhari questioned its performance. “Even after 18 months, there is confusion whether this government exists or not,” he said, adding that its promises have not been fulfilled.
He said there was more accountability during the Governor’s rule and accused the current government of blame-shifting while failing to deliver on key commitments such as providing one lakh jobs and regularising daily wage workers.
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