Restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood on August 5: Apni Party chief to Centre

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari on Friday demanded that statehood of J&K should be restored on August 5, when it was split last year into two Union Territories.
At a press conference in Jammu, Bukhari said, the Centre should restore the statehood of J&K on August 5.

“The Reorganisation Act was for one year and it is our right that our statehood should be restored.” 
J&K should be given back its status else “we will continue for restoration of statehood which was snatched from us on August 5,” he said.

The JKAP president, however, did not refer to revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. Incidentally, Bukhari was the first mainstream politician to say that Kashmiris should move beyond Article 370 after its scrapping.

The other parties, including the National Conference, the PDP and the Congress, have condemned the scrapping of J&K’s special status and are demanding restoration of special status and statehood. Taking a dig at bureaucrats, Bukhari said J&K has unresponsive bureaucracy, who have no connect with the people. “The officials don’t listen to people and don’t attend to the phone calls.

They are not responsive”. The Apni Party president demanded restoration of high-speed internet which remains suspended since last year. “Due to non-availability of high-speed internet services, all spheres of life are badly affected. Militants use satellite phones not 4G internet, which is not restored despite repeated pleas from students and others.”