Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Syed Altaf Bukhari, supported by senior colleagues who too had deserted PDP on Sunday launched his own political outfit, Jammu & Kashmir Apni party (JKAP) in Srinagar.
Apparently propped up by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) ruled Union Government, majority of founding members of the regional party with national outlook turned out to be members of the council of Ministers of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Over half a dozen Congress leaders from Jammu region and retired bureaucrats, who remained close aides of NC top brass also embarked on Bukhari's bandwagon.
Making a formal announcement in the company of founding members of his party, who had assembled at his Bukhari Shiekhbagh mansion, Syed Altaf Bukhari told reporters, "this party will be a different party. A party not floated by a family". “This party is by the commoners, for the commoners, of the commoners,” Bukhari said. He said they will be choosy in admitting people into the party and that a president once elected will never be permitted beyond two times.
After reading from a draft statement, Bukhari interacted briefly with media persons and soon winded up the session saying that there will be many occasions to interact in future. He along with senior party leaders also unveiled the party flag on the occasion.
Earlier, Bukhari told reporters that he had been waiting for the last seven months hoping that National Conference and the PDP would come out and raise the issues confronted by the people.
“Unfortunately, they have not come out. Political parties don’t cease to exist once their leaders are arrested. Now, most of their leaders have been released, if not the presidents of the parties. We believed they would talk about issues, but they chose silence. We thought it necessary to flag issues,” Bukhari said.
He explained, the present circumstances warranted formation of a new political party comprising of those who all along had identified and related themselves to the social needs of multiple strata and factions of our society. A party that can respond to rational aspirations of people without promising them moon or stars. We are not here to sell dreams or fantasy to our people and instead shall always be pragmatic, honest and fair in our approach", he added.
Referring to the contentious issue of Abrogation of Article 370, Bukhari said, "we have, but to wait for the verdict of Supreme Court in any case".
However, restoration of statehood, domicile rights on land and jobs, beside a holistic and an equitable development of all the regions and sub regions of Jammu & Kashmir forms our core agenda.
In January, Bukhari-led delegation presented a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu listing measures for the revival of political activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The launch party was attended by a number of former lawmakers and leaders. These included former PDP lawmakers and politicians Ghulam Hasan Mir, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Javed Ahmad Beg, Raja Manzoor, Zafar Iqbal Manhas, Abdul Majid Padder, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Choudhary Zulfiqar, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Noor Mohammad Wani and Abdul Raheem Rather.
Former Congress leaders Usman Majid, Shoaib Lone, Aijaz Khan and his brother Mumtaz Khan, Farooq Andrabi, Irafn Naqeeb, Krishan Arora, Vikram Malhotra and Manjit Singh also attended the function.
Syed Asgar Ali who had recently migrated from PDP to NC was also present along with former Chief Secretary Vijay Bakaya who had resigned from NC.