Altaf Bukhari: Restore J&K statehood through dialogue, not confrontation

# Main point Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), told reporters in Jammu that restoring statehood for Jammu and Kashmir requires dialogue and persuasion, not confrontation. He framed confrontation as historically unproductive and urged political leaders to present a reasoned, convincing case to the Union Government.

# What he criticized Bukhari criticized both the ruling dispensation and opposition parties for making grand promises that are impractical. He said parties should avoid promising things they cannot explain how to deliver, using the example of pledges to restore Article 370 without a clear plan for achieving it. He repeated the JKAP stance that promises must be practical and achievable.

# Stance on the elected government Bukhari described the current elected government as "the last democratic gift by the Centre to J&K" and said his party will not support any undemocratic attempts to remove it. He affirmed that opposition must operate within democratic institutions: the party will oppose the government where it pursues policies harmful to people, but it will not validate removal of elected authority through undemocratic means.

# Reservation policy and public debate On proposed reservation changes, Bukhari asked for a wider, detailed discussion. He raised the specific concern that reservation benefits may be concentrated among particular families or individuals and suggested a seminar and public debate to design fair distribution of those benefits rather than rely on political statements.

# Governance and public services Bukhari highlighted public-service gaps as immediate priorities. He called the National Health Mission employees' demand for higher pay legitimate and urged the administration to address health-sector grievances. He pointed to failures in health administration, including a decade-long absence of a gynaecologist at the Sub-District Hospital in Bani, forcing women to travel for childbirth care.

He also said employment and livelihood for Jammu and Kashmir's educated youth should be top priorities. Taxation and additional financial burdens on employees, students and healthcare interns should be handled cautiously.

# On other political processes

# Comparative point Bukhari referred to Ladakh, noting that if 250,000 people there could make their voice heard collectively, then Jammu and Kashmir's population of roughly 13 million could similarly organise democratic engagement to press its case.

# Bottom line Bukhari's message consistently prioritizes pragmatic, democratic engagement: make achievable promises, hold detailed public debates on policy changes such as reservation, address shortfalls in public services and pursue statehood restoration through reasoned dialogue with the Centre rather than confrontation.