Srinagar, Sep 29: People’s Democratic Front (PDF) president and former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has welcomed the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly resolution seeking restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory.
Yaseen said the resolution represented the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but its implementation would be a greater responsibility. He urged the Government of India to take concrete and time-bound steps towards restoring statehood.
“Passing a resolution is not a big thing, but implementing it is the bigger responsibility,” he said, adding that people wanted statehood “with dignity”.
Yaseen also criticised the BJP’s opposition to the resolution and its reference to a 2000 resolution. He said the demand for statehood should not be viewed through political considerations and referred to the territorial and institutional arrangements that existed before 2019.
He said people had high expectations from the ongoing Assembly session but alleged that several issues, including unemployment, protests by daily wagers, employees’ concerns and difficulties faced by traders and the business community, had not received adequate attention.
Yaseen said both the ruling and opposition parties had a responsibility to keep the Assembly focused on issues affecting the people and ensure that public concerns were discussed and addressed.
