SRINAGAR; Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone has questioned the representation of the Kashmir Valley in the latest selection of JKAS and JK Accounts (Gazetted) officers, alleging that the appointment figures reflect what he described as “recruitment apartheid” against the region.
In a post on X, Lone said 55 officers had been selected for the two services, of whom 10 were from the Kashmir Valley. Citing a 56 per cent population share for Kashmir, he said the region accounted for 18 per cent of the appointments.
Lone also questioned the Chief Minister’s participation in the distribution of appointment orders, saying Omar Abdullah should ideally have stayed away from the process.
He alleged that the existing reservation framework was contributing to the marginalisation of people from the Valley and described it as a means of “disempower” and “relegate to the margins” its inhabitants.
Lone further said the reservation changes recommended by the JK Cabinet would not substantially alter the representation figures. He argued that even if the proposal sent by the elected government to the Union government was approved, the Valley’s share would rise only to 19 per cent against its stated 56 per cent population share.
With the Legislative Assembly session approaching, Lone said he would raise the matter through appropriate legislative devices and urged members across party lines to highlight what he termed the seriousness of the issue.
He said the Assembly should explicitly debate whether the present reservation system was contributing to the political and administrative marginalisation of the Kashmir Valley’s population.
