The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Srinagar constituency, Waheed-ur-Rahman Para, is the poorest candidate in the fray with a house valued at a mere Rs 32 lac and a monthly earning not exceeding Rs 40,000. However, his opponent from Apni Party Muhammad Ashraf Mir is much richer than Para, having almost Rs 31 crore net worth.

The poll affidavit Para has submitted before the Returning Officer in Srinagar reveals that he has not been able to earn anything from the year 2020 to 2022 for being under detention.

According to the news agency KNO, Para, in his poll affidavit, has declared that FIR No. 05/2020 at NIA Jammu Police Station and FIR No. 31/2020 at CIK Srinagar Police Station are registered against him.

The sections under which Para has been charged include Sections 18, 19, 20, 23, 38, 13, 17, 18, 39, 40 of the UAPA Act (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), UAPA read with 7/25 of the Arms Act, Section 120/B, 3/04 of ES Act, Section 121/A, 124/A of IPC (Indian Penal Code).

In 2022-23, his income was Rs 4,51,270, while in 2023-24, it was Rs 4,70,310. His monthly earnings are not more than a mere 39 thousand rupees. He has Rs 1 lac cash in hand. He doesn't have any savings or fixed deposits. However, he has ancestral land valuing approximately Rs 2 crore. He has immovable assets worth 18 lac and an ancestral house in Pulwama, valuing Rs 32 lac.

Furthermore, as per the affidavit, he has completed a Master's in International Relations (Peace and Conflict Studies) from the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST).

On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party candidate for the Srinagar Parliament constituency, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, in his poll affidavit, has declared details of both movable and immovable assets, including those of his spouse and dependents.

The movable assets include a total value of Rs 97 lac for Mohammad Ashraf Mir and Rs 1,57,25,528 for his spouse. As far as immovable assets are concerned, Mohammad Ashraf Mir has declared a total value of Rs 1,54,00,000 as per the present market value, including agricultural land.

Additionally, he has declared a total current market value of approximately Rs 30.15 crore for residential buildings, including apartments. Mir's assets include movable assets such as personal vehicles, immovable assets such as residential buildings and agricultural land, as well as financial assets such as savings deposits and investments in companies/mutual funds.

The candidate's highest educational qualification is a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) in Personnel Management from BMS College of Engineering in 1995. He owns a Toyota Fortuner and a Mahindra Scorpio. Based on the provided document, Mir has Rs 5,00,000 in cash in hand and a savings deposit of Rs 1,25,528 in J&K Bank.

SRINAGAR — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth president and a contestant from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para on Wednesday said that the party will try its best to represent the sentiment of youth in the Parliament democratically.

Para, who filed nomination for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat today, while speaking to the news agency KNS that their effort in this election is to reach every household of Jammu and Kashmir and seek votes and confidence of people who have been left unattended from the last five years.

He said PDP represents the youth of Jammu & Kashmir and their aspirations and assures people of the region that they will become their voice. He appealed to voters to give them an opportunity to serve their sentiments in the Parliament. “Give us a chance and see how PDP will represent people in New Delhi’s Parliament,” he said.

Para asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are craving and have an urge to connect with PDP as this is the only party who flagged up their concerns in odd and even. “After August 5, 2019, no political leader dared to speak up for their people. Everyone remained tight-lipped, and it was only Mehbooba Mufti who took a stand and stood for people,” he said.

“PDP will try its best to represent people’s sentiment democratically,” Para added. He continued that many elements were thinking of boycotting, but he appeals to the people, especially youth, to vote whosoever they want to elect. “Your vote is inevitable for change,” he added.

SRINAGAR — Addressing several rallies across South Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti delivered a scathing critique of the escalating turbulence and fear gripping Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the current atmosphere of uncertainty far surpasses the tumult of past gun culture.

On this occasion, senior party leader Mohammad Sartaj Madni, Aijaz Ahmad Mir Ex-MLA, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat Ex-MLA, District President Manzoor Ahmad Zargar, Additional Spokesperson Mohammad Amin Dar, Zafrullah Wani, Muzaffar Ahmad Wagay, Nissar Ahmad, Sheikh Ghulam Mohiuddin, Gulzar Ahmad Dar, Mohammad Yaseen besides many others were also present and spoke to the gatherings.

Mehbooba said that since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have endured suffocation and widespread fear, likening the prevailing silence to that of a graveyard.

Despite the imposed silence, the PDP President declared her unwavering defiance, highlighting the consequences her family has faced at the hands of government agencies. “Post abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir when every single person was silenced, I preferred to speak truth to power as soon as I came out of the jail. Even though my family had to bear the consequences, my aged mother, my brother were hounded. But I didn’t surrender my voice and my stand,” Mehbooba said.

Warning against the consequences of silence, Mufti emphasized the importance of voting as a means to combat oppression. She denounced violence, affirming that guns and stones only lead to graves filled with lost lives and shattered families.

“If we remain silent today, we will have nothing left for our future generations. Voting not guns or stones is the answer to the prevalent oppression. Guns and stones only filled our graveyards, orphaned our children and widowed our women. I want to reiterate that we will not allow those immense sacrifices to go to waste but at the same time, we will have to understand that vote and voice are our weapons to fight for our rights and against this highhandedness,” she said.

The PDP President further underscored the continuous erosion of Kashmiri rights and resources, citing the issuance of new decrees akin to August 5, 2019. Expressing concern over the proliferation of drugs among the youth, she called for reflection on the origins of such substances.

She added, “August 5, 2019 should not be viewed in isolation. Every single day is August 5 for us. Everyday, new Shahi Farmans are being issued and they are eyeing our resources, our jobs, our forests, our hydroelectricity and our lithium reserves. They are throwing our youth into the menace of drugs. One must ponder where these drugs come from.”

Emphasizing unity beyond party lines, Mehbooba termed her struggle as one for the rights and identity of Jammu and Kashmir. She also highlighted the significance of the Congress party's manifesto, praising its focus on marginalized communities. “It is not the fight between PDP and NC but the fight for Jammu and Kashmir's rights and identity. We must fear that day when everything will be taken away from us if we do not act today.

She said that Congress's poll manifesto is the best one given out by any political party in the country since independence. "It talks about the poor and downtrodden, about women, youth and farmers. INDIA alliance is doing better in these polls and this is the reason for BJP's frustration and its polarising rants," Mehbooba said.