Former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Syed Altaf Bukhari on Sunday launched a new political party called the 'Jammu and Kashmir Apni (own) Party’ making it the first political activity after nearly 7 months. New Delhi on August 5 announced abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and decided to bifurcate the state into Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh - hours after Kashmir was placed under a total clampdown. The two Union territories came into existence on October 31.
Soon after the launch, Bukhari said, "It is a very happy occasion that finally we have come up with our party known as Apni Party. It puts a lot of responsibility on us as the expectations and challenges are huge. I assure people of Jammu and Kashmir that my will is strong."
Bukhari (60), a graduate in Agriculture Science, has been joined by politicians from various other parties, including the National Conference (NC), the PDP, the Congress and the BJP. Ghulam Hassan Mir, Former MLAs of PDP-Dilawar Mir, Noor Mohd Sheikh, Ashraf Mir and Former Congress MLAs - Farooq Andrabi, Irfan Naqib are some prominent faces in the party.
Bukhari said that in the new scenario, every political party should educate people about the changed realities of the erstwhile state.
He was the first mainstream politician in Kashmir who said publicly to move beyond the abrogation of Article 370. Altaf Bhukhari was expelled by the PDP last month after he along with his party colleagues met a delegation of foreign envoys and diplomats in Srinagar.
Altaf Bhukhari had also praised the Modi government for ensuring no loss of life in the Kashmir Valley after the revocation of Article 370 and 35A in August. "After the abrogation of Article 370 there has been no bloodshed, no killings happened. The credit goes both to the people and government," Bukhari had said.
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