J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari on Sunday said that they would soon initiate serious efforts to bring the jailed youths back home so that they can start a dignified life with their families.

Bukhari, who was addressing a largely attended workers’ convention at the party headquarters in Srinagar, said that the Apni Party wants a dignified life and a promising future for the youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said: “Our youths deserve a peaceful and dignified life even if they might have made some mistakes in the past. Thus, we have decided that the Apni Party will form a committee to pursue the release of the youths who have been put in jails. This committee will look into the case of each and every detainee.”

“We will even meet the families of the prisoners to ensure that they help them lead a peaceful life. We will also make sure that the responsible citizens of localities and villages shoulder the responsibility to ensure the youngsters start living a normal life once they are released,” he said.

“How long will our young people suffer? We want them to be set free to live peacefully with their families. Nobody should be called to police stations on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day. Our youths deserve a dignified life and a promising future. We will not leave any stone unturned to convince the government to release all the detainees. Everyone should get a chance to start a normal life,” he said.

Bukhari said: “The upcoming rally in Srinagar is being organized to send out a message to the government that people want a change for good here. Every one of us has to contribute to make this rally a successful event at the cricket stadium here on November 12.”

Reiterating the Apni Party’s agenda, Bukhari said: “Our party believes in positive politics. We pursue a policy and agenda that will end the turmoil and negative politics in J&K, where the people have hugely suffered during the past more than three decades of conflict and bloodshed.”

“People cannot afford further destruction here. Thus, we have to work hard to make positive changes here so that the people can live peacefully and fearlessly. Our people have been deeply wounded over the years and they require care and solace in terms of a peaceful and prosperous environment,” he said.

Talking about the drug menace in the Valley, Bukhari said: “We cannot afford to see the lives of our young boys and girls getting ruined due to the drug menace. We have to wage a ‘jihad’ against this social evil in the Valley. The Apni Party will do everything to safeguard the future of the young generations.”