Mehbooba Mufti Demands Release of J&K Political Prisoners, Urges CM Abdullah to Act
Mufti while speaking to a select group of reporters here condemned the treatment faced during a peaceful protest organised by her party for the release of these prisoners, stating, “We were stopped and treated like enemies.”
SRINAGAR: Former Chief Minister and opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday demanded the release of political prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir detained in various jails across the country and asked the incumbent CM Omar Abdullah to quickly act to ensure justice is delivered.
Mufti while speaking to a select group of reporters here condemned the treatment faced during a peaceful protest organised by her party for the release of these prisoners, stating, “We were stopped and treated like enemies.”
She highlighted the plight of numerous J&K prisoners, including senior separatist leaders like Shabir Ahmed Shah and Dr. Abdul Hameed Fayaz (a former Amir of proscribe Jamaat-e-islami, J&K) who are suffering from ailments while their families struggle.
She urged the Chief Minister to form an all-party delegation to visit these jails and assess the situation or, at the very least, send two or three ministers to do so.
She further revealed that she had requested the Chief Minister to meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to facilitate the transfer of these prisoners back to J&K jails. Mufti noted that the PDP had previously introduced a resolution in the Assembly for this purpose, but it was not acted upon. “At least he can meet the Home Minister and request the transfer of these prisoners to Kashmir,” she said.
Raising humanitarian concerns, Mufti emphasized the suffering of senior leaders and poor prisoners whose families lack resources to secure their release. “Even rapists get parole, but J&K prisoners are denied. I’m not playing politics; this is a humanitarian issue. Under-trials have spent years in jail with prolonged court proceedings. At least release the innocent,” she said.
In response to the PDP’s protests and the issues raised by its leader, the Chief Minister clarified that decisions on J&K’s security, including prisoner issues, are handled by the Union Home Ministry in Delhi. He advised the PDP to take their concerns directly to the Home Minister.