Farooq Abdullah for shifting of Kashmiri prisoners to jails in Kashmir

Srinagar: Taking a dig at the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (BJP), National Conference president and Member Parliament Srinagar, Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday called for shifting of Kashmiri prisoners back to the state. He was reacting to the assault on Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar jail.
Abdullah said the prisoners must be shifted back to Kashmir jails if their condition is bad. “Instead of talking to Home Secretary, I request Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) to talk to them (Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar jail) who were sent to these jails by them (PDP govt). They should meet them and see their plight and if their condition is bad let’s shift them back to Kashmir jails,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had expressed serious concern over the “harassment and physical torture” of Kashmiri prisoners at New Delhi’s Tihar jail. Mehbooba spoke to union home secretary Rajiv Gauba over telephone, day after reports surfaced that 18 Kashmiris were allegedly assaulted by a unit of Tamil Nadu Special Police inside Tihar jail on the night of November 21-22.
The victims included Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin. While the reports of severe physical torture of inmates at Tihar jail has sent shock waves across Kashmir, the Delhi High Court on Monday said that violation of fundamental, human and legal rights of prisoners, who have alleged they were subjected to severe physical torture at the Tihar, was “very disturbing.”
Reacting over the torture inflicted upon Kashmiri prisoners in India’s Tihar Jail, Farooq Abdullah said mere ringing to Home Secretary is not enough. Abdullah said that it is Mehbooba Mufti who has dragged these Kashmiri prisoners inside Tihar Jail. “Mehbooba got these prisoners shifted to Tihar and now she is showing concern about their miseries. Being the Chief Minister, Mehbooba should herself visit Tihar Jail and if she feels, Kashmiri prisoners are in wretched condition, she should use her good offices and get these prisoners shifted to Kahsmir,” Abdullah said at Nawai Subha National Conference headquarters Wednesday morning.
Farooq Abdullah also impressed upon Prime Minister of India to find ways and means to engage Pakistan into a dialogue. “India is a largest country than Pakistan and it is the responsibility of India to engage Pakistan and find a solution to Kashmir issue, acceptable to Pakisant, India as well as people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.
“I am not talking irrational. I have seen tragedy with my own eyes in Kashmir. Border people are suffering. Men, women and children are getting killed. Even soldiers die. What are we trying to achieve. War is not a solution as it increases only tragedies,” he said.
Farooq Abdullah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking about elimination of terrorism. “If he wants elimination of terrorism, then he must come forward and find a solution to Kashmir issue,” he said.
Responding to a question, Abdullah said he hopes that interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma will present a clear picture of Kashmir in New Delhi and will help to find an acceptable solution so that people of Kashmir will come out from trauma.
To another question, Farooq Abdullah said that Lashkar-e-Taiba is the production of Pakistan that has devastated the country. “Pakistan is burning in the fire lit by them for others,” he said.