Srinagar: A delegation of Apni Party (AP) led by its President Syed Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded early restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and assembly elections.
According to a press note the demands were also made in a memorandum submitted by the delegation to the home minister.
“Since its inception, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party has been consistently voicing the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Today when your good self is on the last leg of one more successful visit of Jammu and Kashmir, we deem it proper to bring to your kind notice these issues and reiterate our passionate appeal to the government for their early redressal in the larger interest of the common people,” the memorandum said.
It added that at the very outset, “we reiterate our long pending demand regarding restoration of Statehood before Assembly elections are held.”
“The necessity to demand the restoration of Statehood is to instill a sense of confidence among the people of Jammu and Kashmir particularly the youth. For administrative empowerment, good governance, better devolution of powers in a federal structure and to defuse the highly misguiding and misleading propaganda of anti-peace elements and to create a real sense of belonging among the masses, restoration of statehood shall go a long way and would play a pivotal role in the path of confidence building,” the memorandum added.
The memorandum stated that the Prime Minister and The Union Home Minister have committed to restoring statehood at an appropriate time. Apni Party honestly believes that this is appropriate time to win the confidence of the people, particularly the youth of J&K by restoring the statehood and holding the Assembly Elections at earliest.
The Apni Party also demanded transparent and fast recruitment, release of detained youth, resolution of problems faced by fruit growers of Kashmir Valley, uptake and completion of projects and raising of new battalions.