Apni Party wants Centre to start dialogue with J&K’s people to address their issues: Mohammad Ashraf Mir

Srinagar, Aug 5: Apni Party Provincial President Mohammad Ashraf Mir on Wednesday said that the party wants the “Centre to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, to address their issues and grievances.” He also urged the Government of India (GoI) to “restore the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” In a press release, he said that the youth feel “insecure and helpless”, and therefore a meaningful dialogue is essential to bridge the trust deficit. Mir made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar, as per the statement. He said, “Today, on the seventh anniversary of the events of August 5, 2019, Apni Party passed a resolution at every district headquarters demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and other constitutional rights. On this day in 2019, the Centre took away our rights and dignity. Apni Party will continue to strive for the restoration of all the rights that existed prior to August 5, 2019, including Articles 370 and 35A.” He further said, “We demand that the Centre immediately restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, as promised by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home Minister on the floor of the House.” Demanding that the existing residency requirement for domicile eligibility be increased from 15 years to 50 years, Mohammad Ashraf Mir said, “Following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the Apni Party leadership, during its meeting with the Central leadership in New Delhi, successfully persuaded the Centre to safeguard the exclusive rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir over land and government jobs. As a result of these efforts, the domicile law was eventually implemented.” He added, “However, we urge that the extending residency requirement for domicile eligibility should be enhanced from 15 years to 50 years. We also demand that these protections be backed by a constitutional guarantee to ensure the permanent safeguarding of the land and employment rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” Mir said that after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, it was said that Jammu and Kashmir would witness accelerated development and greater employment opportunities. “However, the reality is that seven years later, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest unemployment rate in the country, while the region continues to face a significant development deficit,” he said. He said that the police prevented the party’s leaders from their movement in districts such as Anantnag, Shopian, Baramulla, and Pulwama. As a result, the resolution could not be passed in those districts. However, it was successfully passed by every other district body across Jammu and Kashmir. During the press conference, Mohammad Ashraf Mir was flanked by several party leaders including party’s Chief Spokesperson & State Secretary Muntazir Mohiuddin, State Secretary and Spokesperson Dr. Harbaksh Singh, and others.

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