Asian Mail
Srinagar: In a surprise move, Junaid Azim Mattu, a prominent leader of the J&K Apni Party, announced his resignation from the party. Mattu, who had been a key figure in the party, cited his conviction and principle as the reason for his departure.
In a X Post on Tuesday night he said, “I have reached this decision primarily underscored by a solemn pledge I had taken during my Hajj pilgrimage earlier this year, to uphold my conviction and do politics guided by my own principles and a sense of discerning the right from the wrong,” Mattu said in a press statement.
He expressed his gratitude to party president Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari and his colleagues, but stated that his own convictions were no longer aligned with the party’s ide ology. “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,” Mattu added.
Mattu emphasized that he could not criticize the party while still being a part of it, and that it would be “disingenuous” to remain associated with the party or contest elections as a party candidate. “Speaking truth to power is not easy, but regardless of the consequences, it is the truth and it definitely needs to be spoken,” he said.
The former party leader announced that he would address the media in a couple of days to share his views, answer questions, and outline his intentions and goals going forward. He assured his loyal workers and team that he would continue to speak the truth, even in the face of unimaginable challenges. “Every single moment of my life going forward will be a moment treated as a sacred duty to speak the truth and nothing but the truth,” Mattu declared.
