Altaf Bukhari talks to LG Murmu, seeks shifting of J&K residents

 
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday took up the issue of J&K residents who are stranded in various states of the country with the Lieutenant Governor G.S Murmu.
 
Talking to the Lieutenant Governor G.S Murmu on phone from Delhi, Bukhari sought his intervention in shifting of the stranded people of Jammu and Kashmir especially the students, pilgrims, labourers, businessmen and patients who are stuck-up in different parts of the country in view of the COVID-19 lockdown. 
 
The JKAP president remarked that the Lieutenant Governor Murmu has agreed in principal to facilitate and allow the return of residents of J&K who are presently stranded at Madhopur-Pathankote and Lakhanpur entry points, today.
 
“There are around 4500 people of J&K who are stranded at these entry points despite completing their quarantine period and testing negative for the Coronavirus.  I am hopeful from my discussions with the Honb’le Lieutenant Governor that all these stranded residents of J&K including students, pilgrims and the businessmen would be allowed to return their homes from today,” Bukhari added.
 
He said that the Lieutenant Governor G.S Murmu has also assured him that within next two days, the J&K government will also facilitate evacuation of the residents of J&K especially the students and pilgrims who are stranded at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Amritsar in Punjab.
 
“Similarly, the Honb’le Lieutenant Governor has asked inhabitants of Kashmir valley who are stuck up in various parts of Jammu division to get themselves registered by approaching administration through phone for their return to their respective places,” he added.     
 
Bukhari urged the Lieutenant Governor to use his good offices to get all the residents of J&K especially the labourers and students who are stuck up in various states and cities of the country including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand, Goa, Kerala, Mumbai, Punjab, Haryana, Calcutta, Bhopal, Chennai, Bangalore and Himachal Pradesh to return to their homes as soon as possible.
 
“On the issue of stranded labourers and students, I informed the Lieutenant Governor that the Rabi crop season in Kashmir and the apple growers would get badly affected as the labourers required are stuck in different states due to restriction of their movement. Even most of the stranded students also belong to the farming community and they also extend a helping hand to their families in this season. The Honb’le Lieutenant Governor assured me that his office will take the matter on priority,” he added. 
 
While thanking the Lieutenant Governor for his concern toward the plight of stranded residents of J&K, Bukhari said, his efforts will supplement the steps taken by the union home ministry in this direction. He said only collective efforts required in these testing times can address the sufferings of stranded people and families who are desperate for the return of their near and dear ones.
 
The JKAP president also extended gratitude to Lieutenant Governor for revocation of PSA detention orders against over 140 people who were lodged in different jails in and outside J&K. Bukhari termed the revocation of PSA against the political activists a significant move that will help in mitigating sufferings of their families in these hard times.
 
“It has been JKAP’s consistent demand that all the political activists and leaders including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti be released to ease up their sufferings. Their release is much needed in light of the COVID-19 outbreak that has undone all other priorities except for saving precious lives,” Bukhari observed.
 
He said that hundreds of political activists who are presently detained outside J&K jails like Ambedkar Nagar, Lukhnow, Allahabad, Agra, Rai Bareli, Agartala and Tihar need to be shifted back to their native places and along with those political activist lodged in central jails of Srinagar and Jammu, be released at an earliest so as to ensure their safety from the COVID pandemic.