Srinagar, Nov 01 (KNO): President of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Saturday strongly criticized the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session, describing it as “a complete disappointment” for the people who had high hopes for decisive governance and relief measures.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Yaseen said that despite being the first full-fledged assembly session after a long gap, the proceedings failed to address any major issues concerning the common people. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir were expecting the government to announce concrete steps to tackle unemployment, rising inflation, and the losses suffered by farmers and orchardists due to natural calamities this year,” he said. “However, instead of policy discussions or relief announcements, the session was consumed by blame games and personal accusations between ruling and opposition members.”
He remarked that such behavior from elected representatives was deeply unfortunate and amounted to a waste of public money and precious time. “The assembly, which should have been a platform for meaningful debate and policy formulation, turned into a battleground of political egos. It reflected poorly on the democratic institutions and on the government’s commitment towards public welfare,” Yaseen said.
Referring to the governance structure in Jammu and Kashmir, Yaseen expressed serious concern over what he termed as “twin governance,” where both the elected government and the central administration are functioning simultaneously, often overlapping each other’s roles. “This dual system has created administrative confusion and policy paralysis. Both the state leadership and the Centre are blaming each other for failures, and as a result, the people are suffering,” he said.
According to him, the absence of coordination between the two authorities has weakened the administrative framework and slowed down development works.
“Be it employment generation, infrastructure projects, or the revival of trade and tourism, there is no clarity on who is accountable. This has left common people frustrated and alienated,” Yaseen stated.
He said that the government should work in a coordinated and transparent manner, ensuring that the power tussle between local and central authorities does not harm public interests. “The Centre must empower the elected government to function effectively and deliver on its promises, while the state leadership should rise above political rhetoric and focus on governance,” he added.
Yaseen also emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir needs stability and policy continuity rather than constant administrative conflicts. “If both the Centre and the elected government continue to pull in different directions, development will remain a distant dream,” he warned.
The PDF president said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had given a strong mandate in 2024, hoping for a change in governance style and genuine redressal of their problems. “Unfortunately, the assembly session has shown that political priorities still outweigh public concerns,” he said.
Concluding his statement, Hakeem Yaseen urged both the Centre and the elected leadership of Jammu and Kashmir to stop the blame game and work in unison for the welfare of the people. “The current system of dual governance is unsustainable. Unless a clear line of accountability is drawn and real governance begins, the people of Jammu and Kashmir will continue to suffer,” he said—(KNO)