SRINAGAR: In a significant development the Jammu and Kashmir Pahari Culture and Welfare Forum (JKPCWF) held a meeting on Saturday via video conference under the guidance of Forum Patron-in-Chief, Muzaffar Hussain Baig. During the meeting, the forum expressed profound gratitude to the Government of India for introducing the Constitutional Schedule Tribe Amendment Bill in Parliament, fulfilling a long-pending and justified demand of the Pahari Tribe.
Describing the move as a landmark in the community’s four-decade-long struggle, the forum credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their unwavering commitment to this cause. Pahari leader, Syd Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, presided over the meeting, reinforcing the promises made during a significant meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on December 25, 2019. During that meeting, the delegation assured the Home Minister of Jammu and Kashmir’s reciprocation of kindness with kindness if the longstanding demand of the Pahari community was fulfilled.
With overwhelming gratitude towards the Government of India, the participants in the meeting vowed that the entire Pahari tribe would forever cherish and remember the momentous decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The meeting also addressed the restructuring and activation of the forum, with important decisions taken to enhance its role in representing and advocating for the Pahari community. The participants conveyed their heartfelt appreciation to Muzaffar Hussain Baig, the patron of the forum, for his active and constructive efforts in championing the cause of the Pahari community.
Speaking at the meeting, Muzaffar Hussain Baig commended the collective and individual efforts that culminated in this historic achievement. He urged the participants to ensure that the promises made to the central leadership were upheld with utmost sincerity and dedication. Baig emphasised the need for a disciplined organisational setup, making everyone accountable for their roles within the forum.
Highlighting the non-political nature of the forum, Baig underscored that the ‘Jammu Kashmir Pahari Culture and Welfare Forum’ represents the Pahari community, irrespective of political affiliations, and has been working diligently for the past four decades.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on the restructuring of the forum, and it was decided that the process would be finalised in the upcoming sessions, considering all pertinent factors. To mobilise the Forum effectively, Muhammad Naseem Malik was appointed as its Organising Secretary, with the approval of Patron-in-Chief Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
The gathering witnessed the presence of Ex-Deputy Chairman Legislative Council Jahangir Hussain Mir, Ex-MLC and Senior Forum Leader Murtaza Khan, Senior Forum Leader and Ex-MLC MR Qureshi, Ex-MLA Ashok Kumar Sharma, former judge and advocate Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Syed Iqbal Kazmi, Advocate Zahid Sarfaraz Malik, Advocate Altaf Hussain Janjua, and former bureaucrat Muhammad Naseem Malik.
