 Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 8: The ‘Jammu Kashmir Apni Party’ took a practical shape today as many of the former ministers and legislators belonging to three main political parties of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir joined hands and formed the new political group.
These politicians met at the residence of former minister and ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari at Sheikh Bagh here and gave practical shape to the new political formation in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Some of the political heavyweights decided to form the new political party with PDP being the main loser.
It would be in place to mention here that Bukhari was on Saturday elected as the President of ‘Jammu Kashmir Apni Party’. Interestingly, Bukhari has in the recent past said that people should stop mourning over the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A and move ahead with the time. However, he could not motivate PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh to join his party.
Bukhari served as Roads & Buildings, Education and Finance Minister in the PDP-Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) government in Jammu & Kashmir from time to time from 2015 to 2018. He was able to convince some of the ‘like-minded’ people to come forward and become a part of the party being led by him.
Political heavyweights like Ghulam Hassan Mir, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Rafi Ahmad Mir and Mumtaz Ahmad Khan are part of the newly floated political party. In addition politicians like Usman Abdul Majeed, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Vijay Bakaya, Yawar Dilawar Mir, Manjeet Singh, Javed Hassan Beigh, Abdul Majeed Paddar, Irfan Naqeeb, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Farooq Andrabi and Muntazir Mohi-ud-din are also part of the group.
At the launching function the flag of the newly floated political party was also unveiled. Bukhari while talking to media persons said that his party was a regional party with national outlook. He while referring to Article 370 said that case is still pending Supreme Court and the decision of the apex court has to be accepted by one and all.
Bukhari said that the party will only focus on the development in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that all the miseries being faced by the people, youth will be put to an end. “We are not here to sell dreams to the people. Instead we shall always be pragmatic, honest and fair in our approach,” he said.
Bukhari said that restoration of statehood, domicile rights on land and jobs would form the core agenda of the party. He claimed that he was waiting for the release of mainstream leaders so that the party is formed adding that since it did not happen he decided to go ahead with the formation of new political party.
However, at the launching function no vision document or agenda was put forward by the leaders and it seems that consensus is eluding on certain issues among the members of new political group. Bukhari had on Saturday evening hosted a dinner for the members of ‘Jammu Kashmir Apni Party’ and some others at his residence. |
