Amend Article 370, stop guns in Kashmir: Bhim
STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Bhim Singh, Chief Patron of National Panthers Party and Exe-cutive Chairman of the State Legal Aid Com-mittee, J and K, while addressing a press conference in the Kashmir, urged Par-liament of India to take initiative to ensure return of peace in the Valley and delivery of justice to those including children who have been denied justice and equity.
Bhim was advised by the Supreme Court to visit Kashmir Valley while Panthers Party’s writ petition was being argued before the Court of Chief Justice of India that he (Bhim Singh) should visit Valley and come back with the ground reality vis-à-vis Kashmir Valley.
Singh, after spending three days in the city of Srinagar as he was not allowed to visit any other districts outside the Srinagar city, requested the State Government to allow him to visit Districts of Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara and other areas affected by violence.
Bhim regretted that he was not allowed to meet the people in the Valley and he had to remain within city of Srinagar only.
Singh visited deserted colleges and schools, met several lawyers in the High Court where there were hardly any litigants beca-use of the strikes and breakdown in the transport movement in the Valley.
Singh demanded that a committee under the leadership of Dr. Karan Singh, former Maharaja of J and K, be constituted with all prominent members of the Hurriyat Conference in it.
He said that a representative of every recognised political party in J and K should also be included in the committee.
This committee under Dr. Karan Singh’s chairmanship should be allowed to visit PoK and Gilgit also so that opinions of the residents of J and K in PoK and Gilgit shall also be taken on record.
In the meantime, he said, the Governor, N.N Vohra should dissolve the State Government and take over the control of government’s powers under Section 92 of J and K Constitution.
Bhim also suggested that India and Pakistan should continue talking to each other on J and K and both sides should leave on the new constituted committee headed by Dr. Karan Singh which should be allowed to function smoothly.
Bhim also made clear that the status of J and K should be maintained as was established by the Constituent Assembly and affirmed by the Cons-titution of India on 26th Janaury, 1950.
Singh was accompanied by entire leadership of the party in Kashmir including its Vice President, Masood Andrabi, State General Secretary, Manjoor Naik, Provincial President, Farooq Ahmed Dar, State Secretary, Maqbool Malik and several district presidents of Kashmir Valley.