Apni Party president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari has asked the Election Commission of India and the Government of India to explain why the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being delayed without any justification.

Bukhari, who was addressing a largely attended public meeting in the border town of Mandi in Poonch district on Sunday, said that it is the responsibility of the Election Commission of India and the Government of India to explain as to why the assembly elections have been delayed.

Bukhari asked: “How can a country object to the formation of an elected government in J&K? This decision has to be taken by the Election Commission of India or government of India as there is no role of any of the neighbouring countries in this process.” Therefore, he said that the government must explain why the elections are not being held in J&K.

Referring to the terror attack in Poonch, he said that “We are concerned over the terror attack in which our five soldiers were martyred. The innocent people should not be harassed. However, those people who provided any kind of support to the terrorists should be handled as per the law.”

Bukhari criticized the traditional political parties for misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir with their divisive agenda on the name of autonomy, self-rule and other issues.

“They created a wedge among the people with their false narrative and promises which could not be fulfilled. However, when they go to Delhi they speak differently. Their double faces have been exposed before the public,” he said and questioned that these politicians blame others but they themselves go to Delhi to protect themselves.

“Our agenda is peace, prosperity and equitable development in J&K. The divisive agenda adopted by traditional political parties was responsible for unaccounted deaths and destruction for the last 72 years. The people faced the brunt of divisive agenda, and these politicians enjoyed their luxury on the other hand,” he said.

He also criticized the BJP which got 25 assembly seats in the last assembly election from Jammu and joined hands with PDP. Both parties campaigned against each other but formed a coalition government immediately after poll results.

He assured the people that if the Apni Party forms the next government in J&K, we will restore the Old Pension Scheme, restore darbar move practice, and non-locals shall not be allowed to get contracts or authority to extract natural resources.

Apni Party Senior Vice President, Ghulam Hassan Mir said that “a political thinking has emerged after August 5, 2019 which prefers peace, brotherhood, and development. For the last seven decades, a divisive agenda of divide and rule was adopted by the traditional political parties which widened the gap between the people of two regions, Jammu and Kashmir.”