“Ignoring merit can make youth vulnerable to social evils; If merit is ignored, Apni Party will protest to protect the deserving”
Gulmarg, Jan 03: Terming the Tourism Department’s notice for renewal of licences of registered stakeholders in Gulmarg as a timely administrative step, Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Saturday said that the process must remain transparent, structured and based only on merit.
In a statement issued here, Mir said tourism activity in Gulmarg represents more than a seasonal occupation, describing it as a livelihood network supporting families across income levels.
He said that attempts to influence the licence renewal process through informal channels would disturb ground operations, create uncertainty among workers and weaken institutional credibility.
Raising concern over reports of lobbying and pressure tactics, Mir said that the licence renewal drive must not become a process where influence replaces eligibility, adding that governance loses legitimacy when opportunities shift from the deserving to the powerful.
He said that Apni Party would observe the process and expects the department to evaluate every applicant through documented procedure, not informal persuasion. “Licence renewal should take place without political interference. No decision must bend to power or influence,” he added.
“If merit is undermined, we will contest it on every forum,” he further said.
He also said that tourism is a stabilising economic force for youth, and that denial of genuine employment opportunities pushes young people into frustration.
He cautioned that if skilled and deserving youth are deprived of work, they risk losing hope, a condition that could make them vulnerable to exploitation by social evils, addiction, crime, or other anti-social influences.
Mir said that youth without work often become disillusioned, and that hopelessness can push them toward wrong paths, where they may turn into tools for social ills that damage society from within.
Mir said that tourism in Gulmarg has become a major employment source for youth, especially for those who invested in their skills and work in the sector for years.
He said that many young workers in tourism are already facing economic strain, and that licence decisions directly shape their ability to earn.
He also said that the Tourism Department must guarantee equal access to documentation, clear timelines, grievance redressal, and transparent verification standards for all applicants.
Mir said that interference of any form, political, bureaucratic or external would not only harm individuals but also weaken collective trust in the administrative autonomy of the Tourism Department.
He said that the licence renewal process must set a precedent for procedural fairness in Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism governance.
He also said that the sector carries social weight, public visibility, and livelihood dependence, making its administration sensitive and consequential.
Mir said that the department must prioritise employment access for skilled youth, warning that tourism governance cannot afford to let economic despair fill the vacuum of opportunity.
Mir further said that while the party supports the renewal notice, it also demands institutional safeguards to ensure the exercise benefits rightful stakeholders, not pressure-driven outcomes.
He said that if the process fails to remain transparent and merit-led, the party will take a strong stand. “If the process is influenced or the deserving are sidelined, Apni Party will protest and contest it on every appropriate forum to ensure that no deserving individual is left behind.
He added that the party’s position is to defend fairness and equal opportunity for all tourism stakeholders.
