Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 12
Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Thursday urged the Centre to announce a general amnesty for people involved in anti-national activities during the 1990s and subsequent years, saying those who had returned to mainstream society should be allowed to lead normal lives.
Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Bukhari appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to consider granting relief to people facing cases linked to the period of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said many young people had been misled during the 1990s but that the situation had since changed, with several having returned to mainstream society.
Bukhari said pending police cases were creating difficulties for such individuals in obtaining government and private employment and securing passports.
He also expressed concern over the denial of police verification certificates to young people, alleging that some were being affected because of the past involvement of their family members in militancy-related activities.
“Young people should not be made to suffer or deprived of opportunities because of the actions of their family members,” he said.
Bukhari also criticised the existing reservation policy, describing it as unfair and detrimental to merit.
He claimed that nearly 70 percent of government posts were reserved for various categories and warned that the policy could increasingly restrict employment opportunities for Kashmiri youth.
He said people in Kashmir had already endured decades of violence and hardship and should not face further disadvantages in accessing employment.
The Apni Party president also criticised the delay in holding Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir, demanding that the polls be conducted without further delay.
He said around 17,000 panchs and sarpanchs were to be elected and alleged that the ruling party was deliberately delaying the elections because it did not want to share power at the grassroots level.
On the electricity situation, Bukhari said frequent power cuts and rising bills had added to the financial difficulties of ordinary households.
He urged the government to consider a waiver of outstanding electricity dues for poor and economically weaker sections.
Bukhari also reiterated his demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, urging the Centre to fulfil commitments made by the prime minister and home minister.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been waiting for the restoration of statehood and that the Centre should not delay the process further.
The Apni Party chief also called for an inclusive political dialogue between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the absence of a meaningful political process had left several public concerns unaddressed.
Referring to the prime minister’s 2021 promise to bridge the Dilli aur dil ki dooriyan (the distance between Delhi and the hearts of the people), Bukhari said the commitment should be translated into action.
He said dialogue was necessary to restore public trust, strengthen peace and prevent further loss of life.
