Srinagar, 25 Dec (KNS) : The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has appealed to the Government of India to review its decision to import apples under the new trade agreement with New Zealand, warning that such a move could seriously harm the Kashmiri apple industry.

Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, while addressing media persons, said that the import of foreign apples in the past had adversely affected local growers and traders. He emphasized that no tax exemption should be given to imported apples under the new agreement and that a reasonable tax must be imposed to safeguard the interests of Kashmiri apple growers.

“Kashmiri apples are not only superior in taste but are also highly beneficial for health. No foreign apple can compete with the quality of Kashmiri produce,” he said.

Dar highlighted that a large section of Kashmir’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the apple industry, which has already suffered losses of around Rs 2,000 crore this year due to adverse weather conditions, road closures and floods.

He urged the Government of India to refrain from taking any decision that could further damage the fragile apple economy of Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to a query regarding the Supreme Court’s rejection of the PIL filed by the PDP concerning the return of prisoners from outside Jammu and Kashmir, Imran said that the petition was nothing more than political drama and point scoring.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“We had said on the very day the PIL was filed that it was merely an attempt at electioneering. The Supreme Court has also termed it political in nature and clarified that courts cannot be used as platforms for election campaigning,” he said.

He pointed out that the PIL was filed during the Budgam election campaign in a hurry, lacking material documents and based on vague and unsubstantiated claims, observations that were also noted by the apex court.

He said that the issue of return and release of Kashmiri prisoners is sensitive and serious, and if the PDP were sincere, they would have filed a well-researched, fact-based and strong petition instead of exploiting the issue for political mileage. He alleged that the party attempted to capitalize on the suffering of prisoners for narrow political gains.

Imran Nabi Dar also reminded that the process for bringing back Kashmiri prisoners had earlier been initiated during the tenure of late PDP founder Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and his close associate Muzaffar Hussain Baig.(KNS)