Srinagar : Police on Saturday barred Apni Party leaders from visiting the martyrs’ graveyard in Naqashband Sahib Khawaja Bazar, Srinagar, to pay homage to the martyrs of 1931 on their 93rd anniversary. The leaders had planned to commemorate Martyrs’ Day by offering Fateh Khwani and floral tributes at the graveyard today.
However, as soon as the party leaders, led by President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, left their Sheikh Bagh office to visit the martyrs’ graveyard, police prevented them from proceeding. Later, the leaders held Fateh prayers on the road at Sheikh Bagh.
Speaking on the occasion, the party’s General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir voiced his annoyance over the administration’s decision to prevent him and his colleagues from visiting the martyrs’ graveyard.
Mir said, “It is unfortunate that we were not allowed to visit the graveyard on the anniversary of these martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the democratic rights of the people. It is disheartening to see that the administration has ended the decades-long tradition of commemorating Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir. On this day, there used to be an official function at the graveyard and a gazetted holiday in J&K on July 13 in their memory.”
“We will continue to fight to ensure that the government respects public sentiment by restoring these traditional practices,” he added.
Besides, the party Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, and General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included the party’s Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Vice President Usman Majid, Vice President Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, the party’s Chief Coordinator Abdul Majeed Padder, State Secretary and Chief Spokesperson Muntazir Mohiuddin, Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi, District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor, District President Srinagar Noor Mohammad Sheikh, District President Anantnag Abdul Rahim Rather, Senior Leaders Khalid Rathore, Mohammad Ashraf Palpori, Najeeb Naqvi and scores of senior workers.