We will support the central government that removes AFSPA, and sends the Army to the barracks: Ghulam Hassan Mir

Srinagar, May 05 (KNS): Continuing its public outreach programmes, Apni Party, on Sunday, held public rallies in Srinagar’s Chanapora and south Kashmir’s Pulwama. Addressing the rallies, the party president  Altaf Bukhari said that Apni Party is committed to ensuring a dignified life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have a clear vision to ensure the economic and political empowerment of the people of J&K, and we possess the will and potential to implement this vision on the ground.

He made these remarks while addressing a public rally in Lal Nagar area of Srinagar’s Chanapora constituency today. The rally venue was thronged by people and party functionaries, who gave a rousing reception to Altaf Bukhari and his accompanying leaders upon their arrival. Later Altaf Bukhari addressed a public rally in Pulwaman. These events were the part of the ongoing campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the gathering in Chanapora, Altaf Bukhari urged people to vote and support the Apni Party for a better and brighter future for Jammu and Kashmir and its people.

He said, “Unlike conventional parties, the ideology and agenda of the Apni Party are rooted in the politics of integrity and truthfulness. We do not believe in lies and deceptions for the sake of political gain. That is why the Apni Party does not attempt to allure people with tall claims and false promises. We will never promise to deliver the moon and stars to you. We only promise what we believe is possible to fulfill.”

He went on to say, “And, we believe that we can ensure a dignified life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We will ensure permanent peace, enduring prosperity, and equitable development across Jammu and Kashmir, and we will ensure that the people of this region are economically and politically empowered.”

Addressing the rally in Pulwama, Altaf Bukhari said, “Once Apni Party receives a public mandate, we will ensure that the 1400 youths currently in jails are released back to their homes so they can resume a normal life with their families. Also, we will expedite the pending police verifications for job aspirants and passport seekers. We are committed to preventing any form of injustice against the people.”

Criticizing the traditional political parties, Altaf Bukhari said, “The traditional parties have always misled and deceived people through their deceptive narratives and hollow slogans. These slogans include calls for ‘Raishumari’, ‘Autonomy’, ‘Self-rule’, and more. They kept people occupied with these emotionally charged slogans only to attain and retain power for themselves. The party which raised the slogan of ‘self-rule’ perhaps meant by this slogan a rule by the family members of its leader. Now, the third generation of the family is aspiring to attain power to rule Jammu and Kashmir.”

The President of the Apni Party blamed the traditional parties for unleashing corruption in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “One of the leaders looted the funds meant for sports in Kashmir. His case is open and shut. I don’t demand his arrest, but at least the accused should feel some guilt, thus bowing his head in shame.”

Urging people to vote for the Apni Party,  Altaf Bukhari said, “This election is a battle between truth and falsehood. It is the time when you need to choose change to end the politics of false narratives, fake promises, and hollow slogans perpetuated by traditional parties. I request that you support Apni Party for a better and brighter future.

Addressing the rally in Chanapora, the party’s Senior Vice President, Ghulam Hassan Mir, said that traditional parties have damaged the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the core over the years and decades.

He said, “Their deceptive political narratives and provocative slogans led the youth onto the path of violence, and eventually, thousands of youngsters ended up either in jails or in graveyards over the past thirty years.”

He said that Apni Party is committed to leading the young population on the path of peace, prosperity, and development. He said, “We will never lead our youth towards violence and destruction; instead, we will guide them towards the path of peace, prosperity, and development.”

Ghulam Hassan Mir demanded the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and emphasised the need for the Army to return to their barracks.

He said, “Now that peace has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir, we demand the removal of AFSPA and the return of the Army to their barracks. If the central government takes this step, we will support it.”

Mir urged people to vote for Apni Party’s candidates for the parliamentary elections and said. “In the 2019 elections, traditional parties approached you seeking your votes, promising that their candidates would protect Article 370 in parliament. People placed their trust in them and elected NC candidates in all the three constituencies in the Valley, while PDP had also its two members in the Rajya Sabha. However, when the critical moment arrived on August 5, 2019, these so-called public representatives chose to remain silent. They did not even bother to apologise to the people for their failure. At the very least, they should have resigned from parliament. Therefore, I appeal to you not to elect candidates from the same parties. Give the Apni Party a chance, and I assure you that our members will represent the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in parliament.”

Besides  Altaf Bukhari and Ghulam Hassan Mir, the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included the party in charge for the Chanapora constituency Mohammad Ashraf Dar, party Organizer for the Kashmir province and Vice Chairman DDC Srinagar Bilal Ahmad Bhat, State Convenor Haji Parvez Ahmad, District vice president Aijaz Ahmad Rather, Provincial Convenor for the party’s youth wing Shoaib Dar, Zonal President Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Zone Youth President Chanapora Constituency Irshad Ahmad Shah, Ward President Mohammad Maqbool, Ward President Chanapora Nazir Ahmad, Abdul Hameed, Ward President Rambagh Waseem Ahmad, Abdul Rashid Parray, Prinah, Mohammad Jamal, Bilal Ahmad Shah, Kaka Ji, Mohammad Yaseen Parry, Muzafar Ahmad Dar, Nisar Ahmad, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, Abdul Qayoom, Afrooza Ji, Sheeraza Ji, Shazada Ji, and others.

The prominent party leaders who were present at the venue in Pulwama included the party’s Provincial Secretary Najeeb Naqvi, Senior Leader Dr. Talat Majeed, Umar Jan, Sami Ullah, Arshid Hussain, Mohammad Waseem, Mushtaq Ahmad, Abdul Ahad, Sajad Ahmad Dar, Mir Mushtaq, Shabir Ahmad, and others.(KNS)