Srinagar, Jul 5 (IANS): Former Mayor of J&K’s Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and leader of Apni Party, Junaid Azim Mattu on Friday announced an interim cessation of his political activity.

“After considerable thought, I announce an interim cessation of all my political activities. A strong conviction has to precede any meaningful work and with all humility at my command, I want to renew my pristine idealism. Will share my views elaborately in a few days,” he said in a post on X-post.

Mattu served as the mayor of Srinagar SMC for nearly five years from 2018.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Apni Party candidates both in Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats forfeited their deposits. The party could not secure much in any of the 36 Assembly segments in these two Lok Sabha seats.

After the election debacle, Apni Party chief Syed Altaf Ahmad Bukhari dissolved the party’s office-bearer bodies, including the youth and women’s wing.