Tauseef Ahmad
Bandipora, Aug 31: National Conference Sonawari constituency candidate Hilal Akbar Lone on Saturday promised the people that if he gets elected from the Sonawari constituency of Bandipora, his priority will be to lift the ban on stone quarrying. He said that hundreds of families associated with stone quarry work have had their livelihoods affected by the ban.
Talking to Kashmir Despatch, Lone said that his family has served the Sonawari constituency for years, and he will continue to do so in the future for the betterment of his people.
He said that the people in Sumbal like the National Conference, as it is the only party that has redressed their grievances.
“I hope people will choose us again, and I am confident they will, but we have to work and reach out to the people to defeat the other candidates with a majority and make the party strong at the ground level,” he said.
He was addressing workers’ convention in Sonawari constituency.
Pertinently, Lone is contesting the assembly elections for the first time from the Sonawari constituency on the National Conference ticket. Before this, his father, Mohd Akbar Lone, had won the assembly elections from the Sonawari constituency and had served as a member of parliament from north Kashmir as well.
