JAMMU, Jan. 27 -- Apni Party's Senior Vice President and former Cabinet Minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir, has demanded the holding of the pending Panchayati Raj elections in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen democratic institutions at the grassroots level.

"Apni Party stands for the consolidation of democratic institutions, and therefore the pending panchayat elections should be held without further delay, as panchayats have become non-functional in the absence of elected representatives," Ghulam Hassan Mir said while addressing party leaders at the Apni Party office in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu district.

Mir chaired a meeting with the party leadership of the Jammu region and held a detailed discussion on strengthening the Apni Party in the region. Du...