Restore statehood to empower people: Altaf Bukhari

Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari Sunday said that his party was desirous of real empowerment of the people in Jammu and Kashmir through the restoration of statehood.

A statement of Apni Party issued quoted Bukhari while addressing the party’s campaign convention for District Development Council (DDC) polls at Gund Mashar-Lolab in district Kupwara as saying that turning J&K state into a union territory had completely disempowered its people.

“The political philosophy that formed the edifice of the Apni Party’s agenda encompasses the true empowerment of the people through restoration of statehood and legal safeguards for their land and jobs,” he said.

Bukhari said that the political empowerment of the people goes through the route of socio-economic development.

“To address the alienation among the people, statehood should be restored to J&K with dignity and honour. Apni Party is committed to strive for this goal along with the domicile laws for protection of land and jobs,” he said.

Bukhari exhorted on the need for strengthening of democratic set-up in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly at the grassroots level and underlined the significance of a much-needed change in the approach of governance that could be brought in, after the successful completion of the ongoing DDC polls.

“Besides focusing on other developmental parameters, I am sure that if elected, our party will usher in a new era of quality education, better healthcare infrastructure, better roads, smooth supply of drinking water and electricity and augmentation of tourism infrastructure across the Lolab Valley,” he said.

The Apni Party president they used to repose faith and blind trust in the political parties whose leaders would surface among people only during the election times.

“But the times have changed and those political parties should understand that they can no more hoodwink the people through their hollow and deceptive slogans,” he said.

Apni Party Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir also addressed the convention.