Altaf Bukhari vows to fight for cultural identity, rights of people of J&K

Srinagar, Nov 23: Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said on Saturday that the people did not elect Apni Party to govern but entrusted it with the role of opposition, a responsibility the party will carry out with utmost dedication and zeal. He said that the party will continue its efforts to serve the people, protect their cultural identity, and uphold their rights.

Bukhari made these remarks while addressing a meeting at the party headquarters in Srinagar. The meeting was attended by the leaders and senior workers from Chanapora constituency. Several prominent leaders including the party's Provincial President, Kashmir, Mohammad Ashraf Mir was also present on the occasion.

He spoke about the party’s commitment to serving the interests of Jammu and Kashmir and its people, a party release said.

He said, “In the assembly elections, people did not choose us to form the government. However, they entrusted us with the crucial responsibility of serving as the opposition. We are committed to fulfilling this role with utmost dedication and zeal. Our efforts will continue on both social and political fronts. Whenever and wherever we observe the government failing to address public issues and grievances, we will raise our voice.”

He further said, “Apni Party will leave no stone unturned in protecting Jammu and Kashmir's cultural identity. We are committed to safeguarding the rights of the people.”

Speaking about the role and contribution of the Apni Party since its inception on March 8, 2020, Bukhari said: “After August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir was in chaos and people feared a potential demographic change in the region, traditional leaders chose to remain silent. However, we decided to step forward and stand by our people during that difficult time. It was our leaders who went to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and other government leaders, convincing them to ensure that locals retained exclusive rights to land and jobs in this region. That was our contribution, even before this party was officially born.”

We went on to say, “We protected the exclusive rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to jobs and agricultural land, which constitutes 95 percent of the total land in the region. We made these efforts despite the miscreants promoting extreme propaganda and spreading misinformation against us. We did not pay any heed to this propaganda because our sole focus was to stand by our people during that crucial time.”

During the meeting, participants held in-depth discussions about the current political scenario, party matters and public issues. They exchanged views and ideas on strengthening the party cadre further in Chanapora constituency.