‘Don’t agree with PM that Article 370 caused all problems in J&K,’ says Altaf Bukhari
Hindustan TimesAfter being under unprecedented security and an Internet lockdown for almost seven months since the effective revocation on August 5 of Article 370 of the Constitution that conferred special status on it, Jammu & Kashmir is ushering in a spring marked by a calibrated easing of restrictions and the release of political leaders. Altaf Bukhari The latest straw in the wind is an effort by Altaf Bukhari, Kashmir’s leading business tycoon and an expelled senior leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, to revive the political process in the erstwhile state, which on October 31 was split into two Union territories — J&K and Ladakh.On Sunday, Bukhari is expected to announce the formation of a new political party, named J&K Apni Party, which translates as J&K Ours. J&K’s economy has been shattered, tourism is zero, hotel industry has gone down. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants clean politics in Kashmir, but I don’t go by his perception of blaming all of Kashmir’s problems on politicians and Article 370.