Srinagar, June 16: Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on said the National Conference’s decision to pursue its own campaign on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood reflected a lack of political unity, but maintained that the demand would eventually be achieved.
Speaking to reporters, Bukhari said all political parties had the right to pursue their own programmes, but a united approach could have expedited the restoration of statehood.
“If there had been unity, the issue could have been resolved in six months. Without unity, it may take six years, but it will definitely be resolved,” he said.
Referring to the National Conference’s proposed outreach on statehood, Bukhari said the party appeared to be carrying out the exercise for its own legislators and workers.
“They have the right to do their own thing. Perhaps they are not interested in unity. If everyone speaks differently, the issue becomes more complicated,” he said.
Bukhari said his party would not participate in any protest programme organised solely by the National Conference.
“They are not inviting anyone. They say it is their party’s programme. If there is no unity, what is the need for us to go there?” he said.
The Apni Party chief also recalled that his party had been demanding restoration of statehood since 2020 and claimed that some political groups had initially dismissed the demand.
“When we raised the issue of statehood, some parties said it was Delhi’s agenda. Today, the same issue has become their agenda. Nevertheless, it remains the agenda of the people, and we hope they succeed,” he said.
On the ongoing expansion and infrastructure works at Srinagar airport, Bukhari stressed the need to balance development with tourism activities.
“Development and tourism must go together. If tourism suffers because of development work, there is no benefit,” he said.
He urged authorities to undertake construction work during night hours while keeping airport operations functional during the day to minimise inconvenience to tourists.
“If the airport closes after 3 pm, it makes a big difference. Tourists will not wait. People have invested in tourism infrastructure here, and the government should take that into consideration,” Bukhari said.
He also expressed concern over reports that airport-related works could continue for around 15 days in October, saying such disruptions could adversely affect the local economy and tourism sector.(KNS)
