SHAH ABBAS
Srinagar
Panches and sarpanches of Kashmir valley Wednesday announced their candidates for upcoming legislative council elections scheduled next month. These elections will fill the four reserved seats of pachayati representatives in the state legislative council, vacant since 1974. The body claiming to be representing panches and sarpanches, All Jammu Kashmir Panch Sarpanch United Forum(AJKPSUF) said that its candidates will contest the election independently without any political affiliations.
“Khursheed Ahmad Malik and Sheikh Ashiq Hussain will contest for the two seats meant for the Kashmir valley,” said AJKPSUF representatives in a press conference adding that Aijaz Ahmad Mir and Advocate Ghulam Hassan will serve as the covering candidates for Kashmir”.
Khursheed Ahmad Malik, who is also the General Secretary of AJKPSUF hails from Nagam Kokernag area of South Kashmir while as Sheikh Ashiq Hussain belongs to Vilgam Kupwara, a far flung area of North Kashmir.
“Our two covering candidates for Kashmir Aijaz and Advocate Ghulan Hassan hail from Zainapora Shopian and Bandipora respectively,” said Khursheed.
He said that AJKPSUF will contest for the four seats of legislative council independently without affiliating themselves with any of the political parties.
“We don’t belong to any political party and we are independent candidates enjoying support of 35000 elected panches and sarpanches,” Khursheed claimed.
He added that the two candidates for the seats for Jammu region will be selected later in the day as the meeting of the forum in Jammu was going on.
Pertinent to mention that a large number of Panches and Sarpanches have already announced that they are boycotting the upcoming Council elections.
These Panchayti representatives accused that government of using them as “scapegoats” because they were not being provided any security. These panches and sarpanches protesting in the press colony early past week even threatened enmass resignations if they were not provided security.
