IIOJK: Mirwaiz condemns prolonged detention of Kashmiris under draconian laws
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has expressed deep concern over the continued incarceration of Kashmiri political leaders, activists, and civilians under draconian laws in various jails across India and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recalled that October 10 marks the day when Shaheed-e-Millat Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq was arrested in 1965 and spent the next three years in jail under harsh conditions that left a lasting impact on his health for the rest of his life.
Drawing parallels with the present situation in IIOJK, Mirwaiz lamented that the same story continues even today, with hundreds of Kashmiris—young and old, from all walks of life—languishing in prisons for years and even decades, many under draconian laws, merely for holding dissenting views. Their prolonged detention, he said, has taken a serious toll on their physical and mental well-being, while their families continue to suffer immensely.
He noted that among those incarcerated are prominent political figures such as Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Aftab Shah, and elected representatives including Engineer Rashid and Mehraj Malik.
Mirwaiz appealed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to review these detentions from a humanitarian and democratic standpoint and order the release of all prisoners. Such a gesture, he said, would help end the prolonged agony of detainees and their families.
