Srinagar, Jun 13 (KNS): National Conference leader and Advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Sogami, on Saturday called for the revival of the Apex Committee to facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, asserting that the time for "pointing fingers" was over.
"The purpose of these conferences is to get rid of your complaints. A lot of time has passed. We have also tried to come back," Sogami told news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS).
Recalling past efforts, he said similar initiatives were undertaken during the previous BJP government and the erstwhile Omar Abdullah-led dispensation. "We did it in the BJP government. Before that, we did it in Omar Abdullah's government. CM Omar also tried a lot," he said.
Sogami said that a rehabilitation package was launched when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. "Through that, many children got jobs. Today, you can see that a lot of Kashmiri Pandit children are getting jobs in different districts," he added.
Expressing disappointment over the community holding conferences outside Jammu and Kashmir, mostly on Fridays, Sogami said, "Last time, I also requested them to hold a conference here. I told them that it is time to complain. How long should we keep pointing fingers at each other? Now, we need to find a way forward."
He pitched for the re-establishment of the Apex Committee that functioned during Omar Abdullah's previous tenure. "We want to talk to them on a micro level. We want to keep in mind the situation on the ground. We want to find a permanent solution for their return," he said.
Maintaining that the ground situation in J&K has improved, Sogami said, "We would request that they should first raise the issue from J&K. The situation on the ground is much better. It would be better to start from J&K." (KNS)