SRINAGAR, June 8: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Monday strongly condemned the killing of Ajay Pandita, Sarpanch of a village in Anantnag district.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari termed the killing as a dastardly act by the elements inimical to peace and prosperity of J&K. “Violence in any of its manifestations begets violence and this vicious cycle needs an end so that the people of J&K who have suffered a lot in the last many decades live in peace and harmony,” Bukhari remarked.
The JKAP president said the slain Sarpanch was elected by the people and was working to redress the day-to-day grievances of his electorate. “Killing an unarmed grass root social activist is a cowardly act which can never be acceptable to any civilized society,” Bukhari said, while expressing solidarity with the bereaved family.
In view of today’s incident, the JKAP president urged the government to go for a thorough review of security of all Panchayat representatives and other political workers in J&K.
Meanwhile, JKAP leader and former legislator Vijay Bakaya also condemned the killing of Pandita urging the government to order a thorough probe into the incident. “The killing of Sarpanch at Anantnag is highly unfortunate and the government should bring the culprits to book,” he added.
