SRINAGAR,Aug 28: Ex Mayor Srinagar Junaid Mattu has quit Apni Party.
Mattu in statement with Cross Town News said " It is with a heavy heart, and with all humility at my command, that I announce my decision to part ways with the J&K Apni Party.
I extend my gratitude to our President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari Sahab and my colleagues and wish them well.
During my Hajj pilgrimage earlier this year, I had taken a solemn pledge to uphold my conviction and do a politics guided by my own principles and a sense of discerning the right from the wrong.
Primarily underscored by this solemn pledge and based also on extensive consultations with my workers and supporters over the last five days, I have reached this decision.
One cannot and should not criticize what one has been a part of — for good or for bad. My best wishes are with Altaf Sahab, an elder brother who has been nothing but kind, protective and large-hearted.
However, my own convictions are no longer congruent or symmetrical with the ideology of the party and in this situation — to still remain associated with the party or to contest elections as a party candidate would be outrightly disingenuous. My party is now at a complete liberty to field an appropriate candidate from Zadibal in my place.
I will address the media in a couple of days to share my views, answer questions and perhaps outline my intentions and goals going forward.
Whatever I decide, my efforts will be aligned towards a life guided by my faith and an unadulterated conviction — as unpalatable or as inexpedient as it may be in the short term. And I have realized in the last few days, as I have been persecuted systematically for speaking my heart out, that speaking truth to power is not easy — but regardless of the consequences — it is the truth and it definitely needs to be spoken.
To my beloved and loyal workers and team — it is going to be tougher to remain by my side. We are going to face unimaginable challenges for speaking the truth and going against the grain of power. But I assure you — every single moment of my life going forward (in whatever capacity Allah ﷻ has written for me) will be a moment treated as a sacred duty to speak the truth and nothing but the truth.
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ is our role model and I pray to Allah ﷻ to guide us towards the path of righteousness."
|