KL Report
Jammu
Expressing serious concern over increasing attacks of the militant in the state, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an apex body of Panchayat members in the state, Saturday expressed concern over the safety and security of Panchayat leaders in the state .
In a press conference, the Panchayat leaders also expressed their surprise that the state government was spending crores of rupees on the security of Separatist leaders but it has no security for Panchayat leaders.
The press conference was addressed by Ghulam Hassan who was also joined by provincial president Kashmir, Imtiaz Afzal Beig and provincial secretary Kashmir, Bashir Ahmed Malik.
Punzoo said that after the recent fidayeen attack and an attack carried by militants on security forces, the Panchayat members in the state particularly in valley are terrified. “If anything untoward happens to any of them, all the Panchayat members will not have any other option but to quit and its all responsibility lies on the state government particularly chief minister of the state”, and added that despite repeated requests, the state and central governments have not taken any step regarding the security of the Panchayat leaders. He further informed that due to the life threat he himself took shelter in a police station in Handwara area for two weeks but the government didn’t provide him any security.
Warning the state government of dire consequences, provincial president Kashmir AJKPC, Imtiaz Afzal Beig said that if any harm is caused to any Panchayat member in future, all the Panchayat members in valley will resign and their organization cannot stop the people doing so, “ because we don’t want to see the people getting killed”, he said . Beig accused the government of deceiving Panchayats in the state and added that they were not in position to deliver anything to the people .
“Therefore their no reason to get killed for nothing”, said Imtiaz Beig.
He expressed surprise that state government was spending crores of rupees on the security of separatist leaders in the state but it has not security of Panchayat leaders who are basic pillars of democracy in the state . He also informed that AJKPC is going to begin its hunger strike from March 24 as token of protest and it will continue for 72 hours.
