Says party opposed alcohol ban in power, now demands it in opposition
Srinagar, Feb 22 :
The Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has launched a scathing attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its ‘shameless double standards’ regarding the alcohol ban in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi called PDP’s newfound concern over alcohol a desperate attempt to stay relevant, demanding that they first apologize to the people for their past betrayal.
“The PDP leadership must come clean before the public—why did they fail to ban alcohol when they were in power? Why didn’t they introduce a bill back then? More importantly, they must disclose how many liquor licenses they shamelessly issued during their tenure,” Inam Un Nabi stated.
Exposing PDP’s hypocrisy, Inam further said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not fools. You cannot refuse to ban alcohol when in power, facilitate its sale and then expect to be taken seriously when you suddenly pretend to care in opposition. If PDP has even an ounce of integrity left, let them first admit their blunder and apologize to the people for allowing this menace to spread.”
Reaffirming AIP’s unwavering stand, Inam Un Nabi emphasized that the battle against alcohol is not about political gimmicks but about safeguarding the values of Jammu and Kashmir. “This is a pious land and we will not tolerate the excuses of those who enabled this menace. We must stand together—traders, transporters, hoteliers, travel agents, civil society, civil society members and religious leaders—to build pressure on the government and ensure that the bill introduced by AIP MLA Sheikh Khursheed is passed.”
AIP has made it clear that hollow politics will not be tolerated. “Either PDP makes amends for its past failures or it should stop pretending to care about issues it deliberately ignored when in power.”—(KNO)