Stone-pelters booked during 2010 agitation plead for amnesty

Srinagar: A group of youth hailing from Khew area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday staged a demonstration at Press Enclave, demanding they be included in the general amnesty scheme announced by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
The protesting youth said they were booked during 2010 agitation and have been visiting courts for the past seven years. As the government announced amnesty to the first-time stone pelters, the youth said they were under the impression that their cases would be withdrawn but so far no such thing has happened.
“We were 62 youths from Khrew area who were booked in 2010 for stone pelting. Of them, 53 were exempted but the rest of us are appearing in the courts without fail. Government has granted amnesty to the stone pelters from 2008 to 2014. We also fall under the amnesty scheme”, the youth told reporters.
They appealed to the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to consider their case and order for granting amnesty to them. They said if justice was denied to them they will be forced to take “extreme” step.
One of the protesters, Atif Ahmad said he has lost his youth to courts. “We are going outside the state to earn our livelihood but have to come back to the valley frequently to attend the court which costs us dear,” he said.
He said if the government is really interested in shaping the future of the youth, they should “include us in the amnesty so that we can earn our livelihood without fear of going to the courts.” They said if justice was denied to them they will be forced to take “extreme” step.
One of the protesters, Atif Ahmad said he has lost his youth to courts. “We are going outside the state to earn our livelihood but have to come back to the valley frequently to attend the court which costs us dear,” he said.
He said if the government is really interested in shaping the future of the youth, they should “include us in the amnesty so that we can earn our livelihood without fear of going to the courts.”