Pak origin wives of ex-militants ‘our daughters’, resolve their issues: Altaf Bukhari to Govt

Urges admin to rollback property tax decision, if true

Srinagar, Feb 16: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president, Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday appealed to the government to resolve the issues confronting Pakistani origin wives of former Kashmiri militants and their children at an earliest.

Bukhari according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the women who arrived in Kashmir, in the year 2010, under the then Omar Abdullah led government’s rehabilitation policy for former militants, are legally wedded wives of Kashmiri youth, whose problems need to be resolved at an earliest.

“Women who crossed over to this side are our daughters, they are legally wedded wives of Kashmiri youth, hence the problems they face along with their families need to be resolved as early as possible,” Bukhari told the media during the party’s one day convention.

Pertinently, Pakistani brides of former Kashmiri militants continue protesting against the government’s alleged failure to issue travel documents to them so that they could visit their parental homes on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC).

These women on Monday again urged the authorities to either grant them citizenship or send them back so that they can live a normal life.

Bukhari also urged the government to roll back its decision to impose property tax in Jammu and Kashmir. Bukhari said the people cannot bear the burden of property tax so far as the present economic structure of the Union Territory is concerned.

He asked the government to withdraw order, if any, for the larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who he said are weak enough to bear the burden of property tax. “People have already suffered a lot, hence thrusting any order against their wishes would be an injustice to them.”

“I appeal to the government to roll back its decision of imposing property tax but so far my knowledge is concerned there is no such order issued by the government until now. Even if it is true, government needs to revisit its decision,” he added—(KNO)