Altaf Bukhari : Will Not Allow Non-Locals To Settle In J&K

JAMMU,11-02-2023 : Altaf Bukhari, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, criticised the administration for its continuing anti-encroachment campaign to reclaim state land on Saturday and declared that his party would not permit non-natives to settle in the Union Territory. When his party assumed power, the former minister vowed to undo all “anti-people” policies of the outgoing administration in an appeal to keep the peace.

“We will not allow the non-locals to settle in Jammu and Kashmir. The land in J&K belongs to the people of the erstwhile state of J&K,” Bukhari said at a function here.

The function was organized to welcome the PDP youth leader from Samba Sanny Sangral, who along with dozens of youth, joined the Apni Party at its Gandhi Nagar headquarters.
Expressing concern over the anti-encroachment drive, he said the government has no other option but to regularise unauthorized colonies.

“Even the government in Delhi has regularised such colonies from time to time, but it seems they do not understand the issues of the poor people,” he said, criticizing the BJP for delaying assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The administration has no right to displace people from their land. If we form the next government, we will reverse anti-people decisions of the administration like stopping the darbar move practice and anti-encroachment drives,” he said.

He said the decision regarding unauthorized colonies should be left to the elected government.

Referring to the demolition of a showroom at Malik Market in the Narwal area of Jammu during the anti-encroachment drive, he said 40 workers lost their means of livelihood by this “wrong decision”.

“The government should have taken action against the revenue officials who allowed the construction of the showroom in the first place besides the person who sold the land. If there was stone pelting, the government was responsible for it,” he said.

He, however, appealed to the people to maintain peace

“Our fight against the elements, who want to create division in the name of region and religion, will continue. The Apni Party is committed to bring stability, peace and prosperity,” he said.