PANCHAYAT MEMBERS REFUSE TO RESIGN Srinagar, May 20: Blaming mainstream political parties for killing Panchs and Sarpanchs, a body of Panchayat members on Tuesday said the elected village heads would not resign, but will continue to work for the development at grass root level. Addressing a press conference here, the members of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) said the body has decided that no elected village heads will resign. “After deliberations with members from every block in the state, it was decided that the village heads will not resign because people have given us mandate for development and to solve their day to day issues,” said Ghulam Hassan Panzoo, who is spokesman of AJKPC. He added: “People have not given us mandate to resolve the Kashmir issue.” Flanked by Congress leader and chairman of Kashmir Society, Farooq Ahmad Renzu, who was ‘special invitee’, the Panchayat members condemned the killing of its members by unidentified gunmen. “At the same time, we condemn government attitude for neither investigating the killings nor giving us any protection,” they said. The Panchayat members, once again, blamed mainstream political parties including the ruling party for the killing of its members. “Had it been militants, they would have owned these killings,” Panzoo said, adding it is mainstream parties which target us. “They kill us because they don’t want our empowerment.” The Panchayat members said that they will not attend any police and army functions. “We are a non-political forum, so we have decided not attend any police or army functions.” Distancing itself from Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Association, the AJKPC said it has nothing do with the former. The Panchayat Association members had started a series of meetings with pro-freedom leadership to seek their suggestions. In this regard, they met top pro-freedom leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Barring Malik, these leaders advised them to resign en-masse. On the occasion, the AJKPC associated itself with ‘Kashmir Society’ headed by Renzu. Those who addressed press conference include its chairman Shafiq Mir, General Secretary Imtiyaz and several others.
Posted on: Wed, 21 May 2014 04:58:04 +0000
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