Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has questioned the Omar Abdullah-led government over the delay in extending a 15-year domicile provision in the union territory, saying the matter was part of an understanding reached with New Delhi.
Speaking on Meeras with Pirzada Shakir, Bukhari said nearly six years had passed since the domicile rules were introduced and expressed surprise that no effort had been made to extend the provision.
“I am surprised that it has been almost two years, none of them have made an effort to extend the domicile, which came for 15 years and already six years have ended,” Bukhari said.
Jammu and Kashmir’s domicile system was introduced in April 2020 through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020, replacing the earlier Permanent Resident Certificate system after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The new rules defined who could be considered a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir and extended eligibility to certain categories of people who had previously not qualified under the former permanent-resident framework.
Bukhari’s comments relate to the period immediately after the changes to Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Union Home Minister Amit Shah in March 2020, shortly after launching the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.
Bukhari said the discussions with the central leadership included concerns over protecting the interests of Jammu and Kashmir’s residents and that there was an understanding that the domicile provision would be extended once an elected government returned to power.
“I say on record,” Bukhari said, referring to his claim about the understanding with New Delhi.
He said he had been told that extending the provision would ultimately be a decision for the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Bukhari said the process could be handled through the administration and approved by the cabinet without requiring a major legislative exercise.
“The chief minister is himself a revenue minister. Revenue will make a proposal which will be accepted by the revenue minister. It will be sent to the law ministry where it will be examined. He is himself a law minister. Then it will be approved in cabinet,” he said.
Asked why the government had not taken the step, Bukhari said: “Why don’t they do it? I don’t know.”
He also urged political leaders to be willing to compromise with New Delhi if that was necessary to secure what they believed was in the interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Especially when you have to convince someone for something for the people, even if you have to bow down, you should do it,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari said his comments were not intended to create alarm, adding that there was ample time before the next assembly election to address the issue.
“I don’t want to create panic. I want to do it for people,” he said.
The Apni Party chief said he remained committed to the issue and that his party would act if given an opportunity in the next elections.
“It is their (NC-Congress) government today. I can’t represent them in Delhi,” he said, referring to the National Conference-Congress government headed by Omar Abdullah.
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