Panchayat members at Risk in State : AJKPC

Govt spends Crores on Security of separatists but no security for Panchayat leaders : Beig

Jammu, Mrach,23, 2013: Expressing serious concern over the increasing militant attacks in the state,  All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference ,AJKPC an apex body of Panchayat members in the state has said that it is concerned about the safety and security of Panchayat leaders in the state .

The Panchayat leaders have also expressed their surprise that the state government was spending crores of rupees on the security of Separatist leaders but it made  no security arrangements for Panchayat leaders. This was stated by Ghulam Hassan Punzoo spokesperson of AJKPC while addressing media persons on Saturday at Press Club Jammu Jammu .

Joined by provincial president Kashmir, Imtiaz Afzal Beig and provincial secretary Kashmir, Bashir Ahmed Malik, Punzoo said that after the recent fidayeen attack and an attack carried by militants on security forces, the Panchayat members in the state particularly in valley are terrified . “ If any thing untoward happens to any of them, all the Panchayat members will not have any other option but to quit and its all responsibility lies on the state government particularly chief minister of the state Mr, Omar Abdullah despite our repeated requests, the state and central government has not taken any step regarding the security of the Panchayat leaders”, he added . He further informed that due to the life threat he himself took shelter in a police station in Hindwara area for two weeks but the government didn’t provide him any security .

Warning the state government of dire consequences, provincial president Kashmir AJKPC, Imtiaz Afzal Beig said that if any harm is caused to any Panchayat member in future,  all the Panchayat members in valley will resign and their organization can not stop the people doing so, “ because we don’t want to see the people getting killed”, he said . Beig said that government has deceived the Panchayats in the state and they were not in position to deliver any thing to the people . Therefore there is  no reason to get killed for nothing, said Imtiaz Beig . He expressed surprise that state government was spending crores of rupees  on the security of separatist leaders in the state but it has not provided security to Panchayat leaders who are basic pillars of democracy in the state . He also informed that  AJKPC  is going to begin its hunger strike from 24 March as token of protest and it will continue for 72 hours.