Mehbooba protests for release of J&K prisoners; Mirwaiz calls for joint efforts
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday protested for the release of J&K prisoners languishing in different jails of the country and undergoing trials for years now without bail or parole.
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday protested for the release of J&K prisoners languishing in different jails of the country and undergoing trials for years now without bail or parole.
She urged chief minister Omar Abdullah to prevail upon home minister Amit Shah to transfer the undertrials back to J&K so that their families, many of whom are very poor, get to visit them and are able to provide them proper treatments.
Mehbooba Mufti took out a protest from her party office in Srinagar but was not allowed by the police to move ahead in the form of a protest rally.
While talking to the media, she urged chief minister Omar to take up the issue of J&K prisoners with Amit Shah.
“Among the thousands of our prisoners (undertrials) who are languishing in J&K and other different jails of the country, many of them are innocent. I want to convey this to Omar to take up this issue with the Home Minister that our innocent prisoners in Jails should be released,” she said.
Mufti said that the prisoners are accused only and not yet have become convicts. “They don’t get parole, furlough or remission. There are no bails, more importantly in UAPA cases,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Mufti said that the prisoners are accused only and not yet have become convicts. “They don’t get parole, furlough or remission. There are no bails, more importantly in UAPA cases,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“They belong to poor families and their parents are not even able to visit them. How will they fight the cases? And those fighting the cases, there are hundreds of witnesses in each case. People are in jails for over 10 years,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“They belong to poor families and their parents are not even able to visit them. How will they fight the cases? And those fighting the cases, there are hundreds of witnesses in each case. People are in jails for over 10 years,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}She said that the families of prominent prisoners like separatist Shabir Shah or ameer (head) of Jamaat-e-Islami had to make a lot of efforts for their proper treatment.
{{/usCountry}}She said that the families of prominent prisoners like separatist Shabir Shah or ameer (head) of Jamaat-e-Islami had to make a lot of efforts for their proper treatment.
{{/usCountry}}Mufti urged the CM to send an all party delegation or a group of ministers to check about the status of these prisoners, many of whom are facing illnesses or facing trials for years now.
{{/usCountry}}Mufti urged the CM to send an all party delegation or a group of ministers to check about the status of these prisoners, many of whom are facing illnesses or facing trials for years now.
{{/usCountry}}Mufti also said that they were ready to provide their support to the government over the issue.
“I want to tell Omar that we are in opposition, we had brought a resolution in assembly for shifting of these prisoners to J&K but you didn’t entertain that. Keeping aside the politics, I am requesting you for humanity, for these people who are suffering in different jails of the country to talk to the home minister and bring them to J&K. So that their parents can meet them, they get treatments and their cases are sped up,” she said.
Mirwaiz calls for joint efforts for prisoners’ release
Chief priest of Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also urged for joint efforts for the release of thousands of Kashmiris in different jails of the country.
“Efforts to highlight the plight of the thousands of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in jails in J&K and across India, and for their relief and release is the moral responsibility of all Kashmiris. A joint effort in this regard by all is the need of the hour, if we really want to help them,” Mirwaiz said.
