Srinagar, Jun 19 (KNO): President of Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, has expressed deep shock and disappointment over the Jammu and Kashmir government's failure to receive students who arrived at Delhi Airport early this morning after being evacuated from Iran.
Terming it "highly unfortunate," Hakeem Yaseen said that while state governments from across India warmly welcomed their respective students at the airport, there was no official representative from the Jammu and Kashmir administration to receive the students from the Union Territory.
“It is painful to note that not a single officer or representative from J&K was present at Delhi Airport to receive our children. The students were left unattended, with no guidance or support. Other states made proper arrangements, but our students were completely ignored,” Yaseen said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Highlighting the inconvenience faced by the students, Yaseen strongly opposed the idea of transporting them back to the Valley in deluxe RTC buses. “How can these students—exhausted and stressed after days of uncertainty—be expected to travel over 600 kilometers by road? It is inhumane,” he said, demanding that special flights be immediately arranged to fly them back to Srinagar.
He added that the parents of the students were deeply anxious back home and expected the government to show a more compassionate and responsive approach. “There appears to be a complete communication breakdown within the J&K administration. Even if there was a protocol issue regarding the Lieutenant Governor, someone from the administration could have gone to receive them. This is not acceptable,” he said.
Hakeem further lamented the lack of basic facilities for the students at the airport. “There were no sleeping arrangements, no proper statements from officials, and no organized support. It was chaos, and it did not reflect well on the functioning of the UT government,” he added.
Reiterating his demand, the PDF Chief urged the government to act swiftly and responsibly by arranging immediate air transport for the safe return of these students to Kashmir and called for accountability from those in charge of the evacuation plan—(KNO)