SRINAGAR: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday accused the Jammu and Kashmir government of reducing employment opportunities by outsourcing jobs and alleged that the ruling Jammu & Kashmir National Conference had weakened democratic institutions by centralising power.
Addressing party workers’ conventions at Khanabal and Achabal in south Kashmir, Bukhari claimed that the government’s decision to outsource jobs had further aggravated unemployment instead of creating opportunities for young people.
He alleged that despite being in office for more than 20 months, the government had failed to initiate employment-generating projects. “Instead of creating jobs, the government has outsourced thousands of posts, depriving unemployed youth of opportunities,” he said.
The Apni Party chief also accused the ruling National Conference of concentrating authority in the hands of a single individual after assuming office, alleging that the move had weakened grassroots democracy and democratic institutions.
He further claimed that democratic values had been replaced by a culture of political flattery and said his party would continue to campaign for strengthening grassroots institutions and ensuring that power reaches the people.
Bukhari criticised the government over what he described as its failure to fulfil the promises made during the 2024 Assembly election campaign. He alleged that commitments, including restoration of Article 370, creation of one lakh jobs and implementation of various welfare measures, had remained unfulfilled.
Referring to South Kashmir, Bukhari said the region had elected all seven MLAs from the NC-Congress alliance but alleged that none had been inducted into the Council of Ministers. He claimed this reflected the ruling alliance’s disregard for the mandate given by the people of the region.
He also urged people to move away from what he described as “traditional family-run political parties”, alleging that such parties had failed to deliver on their promises.
At the Achabal convention, Bukhari said the Apni Party would soon launch a public outreach campaign in the area to strengthen its grassroots presence. Addressing workers at Khanabal, he thanked party cadres for remaining committed to the organisation since its formation despite political challenges.
Several senior Apni Party leaders, including general secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, additional general secretary Hilal Ahmad Shah and other party functionaries, also addressed the gatherings.
