Mehbooba raises alarm over prolonged detention of Kashmiris outside IIOJK
Questions judiciary’s silence on Kashmiris languishing in Indian prisons
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has raised serious concern over the prolonged detention of a large number of Kashmiris languishing in prisons outside the territory, questioning why courts have not taken suo motu cognisance of this grave humanitarian crisis.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mehbooba said the continued incarceration of Kashmiris away from their homes has pushed many families into emotional and financial distress, as they are unable to afford repeated travel to far-off jails to meet their detained relatives. She said several affected households struggle even with basic daily expenses, making prison visits virtually impossible.
Mehbooba said she had written to the IIOJK Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police in February seeking official data on the number of Kashmiri detainees and undertrials lodged outside the Valley, but received no response. She added that similar appeals were later sent to the Indian Home Minister and the Home Secretary, urging the transfer of Kashmiri prisoners to jails within occupied Kashmir, but those efforts also failed to yield any result.
The PDP president said the issue was subsequently taken to court through a public interest litigation, but termed it “shocking” that the plea was dismissed after being given a political colour. She questioned why the judiciary did not take suo motu notice of the matter even after rejecting the petition, describing the court’s decision on the PIL as unfortunate.
“Why does the court not want to know why undertrials are languishing in jails for years without conviction,” Mehbooba asked, adding that it was unrealistic to expect impoverished families to approach courts when they are barely managing to survive. She questioned what recourse remains for ordinary citizens if such widely recognised issues are not addressed.
Mehbooba said there had been expectations that the formation of an elected government in IIOJK would bring relief to affected families, but expressed disappointment over the lack of progress. She said she had urged IIOJK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to constitute a team to visit prisons outside the occupied Valley to assess the number and conditions of Kashmiri prisoners lodged there. “We have seen the suffering of these families. We have the right to raise this issue, and we will not budge,” she said, adding that the struggle would continue until the matter reaches its logical conclusion. KMS—14S
