Altaf Bukhari concerned over harassment of shawl vendors

Srinagar, Dec 26: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, on Thursday, expressed his deep concern over reports suggesting that Kashmir shawl vendors are continuously facing harassment and threats from local miscreants in some parts of Himachal.

In a statement, he urged the J&K authorities to take up this issue with the authorities in Himachal Pradesh to ensure the safety of Kashmiri vendors and their businesses there.

Bukhari wrote on his X handle: “I have been informed that Kashmiri shawl vendors and street hawkers in Himachal Pradesh are continuously facing harassment and threats from some local miscreants. They are being asked to leave the place and return home. Even their landlords are being pressured to evict their Kashmiri tenants.”

He further said, “It is the responsibility of the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to take up this issue with their counterparts in Himachal to ensure the safety of Kashmiri vendors there.”

“These are poor people earning their livelihood. Some of them have been going there for the past two to three decades and have established a customer network. Their livelihood must be protected,” Bukhari added.