Altaf Bukhari visits Jamia Masjid Srinagar, says Mirwaiz never believed in violence

Srinagar, May 06: In a first such visit by any mainstream political leader during past over three decades, Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Monday visited Jamia Masjid in Downtown Srinagar.

Bukhari, who started downtown road show in the morning from Dastageer Sahab (RA) shrine in Khanyar, reached Jamia Masjid where he prayed for peace and wellbeing of Jammu and Kashmir and its people.

He hailed people of Shehr-e-Khaas for their immense support and cooperation in ensuring peaceful atmosphere, saying: “The visit to downtown areas was impossible without the support of the people of Shehr-e-Khas”.

“The aim of public outreach is to make people of Shahr-e-Khaas aware that Apni Party is with you and we will try every bit to ease your sufferings. Our party is committed to bring back the lost glory of Shahr-e-Khaas,” Bukhari told reporters here.

Paying tributes to revered saints of Kashmir valley, Bukhari said Jammu & Kashmir has witnessed enough bloodshed in past, but today situation is limping back to normalcy with the blessings of our revered saints.

He also commended people of Downtown, saying: “All credit goes to people of Shahr-e-Khaas who contributed much for the restoration of peace and prosperity”.

Responding to a query, Bukhari said it doesn’t matter who will win, but it matters peace should be in place. “Peace is important for us. It is not important for us who will win. New dawn in Kashmir valley is going to be started”.

He criticised the regional political parties over their “dual stance and anti-people politics”, saying: “Apni Party believes in truth, not in exploitative politics”.

Replying to a query over the statement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in which he had said Lok Sabha polls shouldn’t be equated with referendum, Bukhari said: “I think Mirwaiz never believed in violence. It was a baseless narrative. His family has suffered violence since 1947. Even I was dubbed an agent four years before, but I stood firm and didn’t succumb”.