Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Thursday urged the Centre to initiate confidence-building measures (CBMs), including a meaningful dialogue process with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the youth, to bridge the prevailing trust deficit.

Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Bukhari said that the time had come for New Delhi to fulfill its commitments and engage with the people in a sincere manner.

“We are not asking for anything new.nPrime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have already promised to engage in dialogue with the people of J&K. This is the right time to begin a meaningful dialogue to address the pressing problems faced by the people here,” he said.

Bukhari said that the people of J&K had chosen the path of peace and normalcy and it was now incumbent upon the Centre to respond positively.

“The people of J&K have chosen the path of peace and normalcy; now it is for the Centre to respond by initiating a sincere and meaningful dialogue,” he said.

Recalling the formation of his party, Bukhari said that Apni Party was established on March 8, 2020, to address people’s issues, especially those arising after the events of August 5, 2019.

“On that day, we lost our special status and several other rights. Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood should be restored without any further delay,” he said.

Bukhari demanded an end to the arrests of youth and called for easing Police verification procedures for job seekers and passport applicants.

“Detainees must also be released. The Supreme Court recently gave us a ray of hope by granting bail to Shabir Ahmad Shah. Similarly, other detainees who have been under trial for years without their cases reaching any conclusion should also be granted bail so that they can live peacefully with their families,” he said.

Taking a dig at the National Conference-led government, Bukhari said that although his party accepted the public mandate after the Assembly elections, the ruling dispensation had failed to deliver on its promises. “Eighteen months have now passed. What has this government done to address the pressing issues faced by the people? Where are the one lakh jobs that the ruling party promised during their poll campaign? And what happened to their promise to regularise 1.2 lakh daily wagers?” he said.

Raising the issue of reservations, Bukhari said that the current system was unfair and needs revision.

“Why are they not addressing the reservation issue? How long will 70 percent of the population receive only 30 percent of the jobs? Reservations should be implemented on the basis of the population ratio, so that every community receives its fair and rightful share,” he said.

Bukhari also expressed concern over a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which revealed that nearly Rs 7000 crore of J&K’s budget remained unspent.

He termed it a serious lapse, saying it has impacted development and welfare measures.

“On one hand, the government has lost an opportunity to utilize such a significant amount for development, infrastructure, and welfare of the people. On the other hand, this unspent amount will be deducted from the next budget, further affecting future development plans,” Bukhari said.

Highlighting issues faced by the horticulture sector, he said that repeated hailstorms had caused heavy losses to fruit growers in recent years.

Bukhari criticised the delay in compensation and alleged that the process is often complicated and politicised.

“I demand that in the event of such calamities, government officials should be immediately deployed to assess the losses and ensure timely relief for the affected farmers. Farmers should not have to wait while the process is delayed for political considerations,” he said.