Rajouri, Jan 17,: Independent MLA from Thanamandi constituency in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, on Saturday, said that the people of Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal region do not support the demand for separate statehood for Jammu being raised by what he termed fringe elements.
Khan, while talking to reporters, said that if Jammu continues to press for a separate state, then the Chenab Valley comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, along with the Pir Panjal region consisting of Rajouri and Poonch, should also be granted separate statehood. He said these regions have long faced discrimination and neglect in terms of development and institutional allocation.
Khan, as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust alleged that major institutions and projects are consistently allotted to Jammu while regions like Rajouri and Poonch are ignored. He said facilities such as AIIMS, IIM, and other major development projects are set up in Jammu, whereas Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley receive little to nothing in comparison.
“If Jammu has the right to demand a separate state, then the people of Pir Panjal also have the right to demand a separate statehood of their own,” the MLA said, adding that the continued imbalance has deepened regional discontent.
The MLA further stated that people of Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal have their own distinct geographical, social and developmental challenges which, he said, warrant separate administrative consideration rather than being sidelined.
Notably, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan is a former judge who entered active politics and won the Thanamandi Assembly seat in the 2024 elections as an Independent candidate after defeating his rival from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has been a Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly since 2024. [KNT]
