Srinagar: “Jammu Kashmir has been turned into a police state where every voice of dissent is curbed and crushed by military and police might. This is nothing but undemocratic and unethical. Political inmates need to be released so that they are able to celebrate Eid with their families,” this was stated by JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Tuesday.
Terming the condition of Kashmiri inmates as trampling of democratic norms, JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik said that the way political dissent is being crushed with military and police might speaks volumes about the callous attitude of Indian colonial mindset against Kashmiris.
He said that thousands of Kashmiris are languishing in different Indian jails like Tihar, jails of Jammu Kashmir like Amphala Jammu, Udhampor, Hiranagar, Khutua and Kotbalwal. From 14 year adolescents to eighty year old men to ailing women, are facing Indian wrath in jails and on daily basis many more are being arrested and put in jails. He said that India used its forces and agencies like NIA and ED to halt Kashmiri march to freedom but these oppressive measures have failed.
“Today we have many including senior resistance leader Syed Shabir Ahmad Shah who is suffering from serious ailments in jail, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saif-u-ullah, Raja Meraj-u-Din Kalwal, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Zahoor Ahmad Watali, and Shahid Yousuf Shah languishing in Tihar jail who were actually abducted by NIA and ED and shifted to Tihar Jail under frivolous and concocted charges. Every evil tactic is being employed by India to prolong their incarceration and miseries. Similarly dozens of inmates including Doctor Qasim Faktoo, Doctor Shafi Shariati, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Showkat Ahmad Khan, Abdul Gani Goni, Lateef Ahmad Waja, Javed Ahmad Khan, Mehmood Topi Wala, Iftikhar Mirza, Feroz Ahmad, Parvaiz Ahmad ,Tariq Ahmed, Manzoor Ahmed, Muhammad Aslam Wani, Muzaffar Ahmed Dar, Mohammad Ayoub Dar, Mohammad Ayoub Mir, Showkat Ahmad Khan, Mirza Nisar Hussain, Mohammad Lateef Budgam, and many more are in jails serving life sentence. Many of these lifers have been shifted to hundreds of kilometers away from their home in Jammu and Indian jails to add up to their hardships. There are many including Masrat Aalam Butt, Siraj ud din Mir, Abdul Rashid Magloo, Mir Hafizullah, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Ameer Hamza, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Tariq Ahmad Dar, Moulana Sarjan Barkati ,Assadullah Parray, Showkat Hakim ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Mohammad Raman Khan, Bilal Ahmed, Farooq Thwadi ,Ali Mohammad Butt, Muhammad Yousef, Shakeel Ahmed Butt, Abdul Gani, Mohammad Subhan Wani and others who are in jail under black law PSA or any other charges . There are many more who are arrested on fictitious charges like 18 innocent boys from Sher-I-Khaas who have been arrested in DSP murder case and many who are facing wrath of police in various police stations. Ailing Lady Leaders like Syeda Asiya Indrabi along with Fahmida Sofi and Naheed Nasreen are being penalized by police from many days shamelessly.”
He said that JKLF leaders Siraj Ud Din Mir and Abdul Rashid Magloo are languishing in Kotbalwal Jail while as another JKLF leader Sheikh Nazir is also sersving a life sentence in same jail. He said that India being a signatory to the Geneva Convention on political prisoners has an obligation to respect the rights of prisoners but as with other human rights, India has trampled this right too and is crushing these inmates with impunity. JKLF chairman said that Kashmiris want these innocent political victims to be released from jails soon so that they are also able to celebrate Eid with their families.
Expressing his dismay over the silence of the international community especially ICRC and other human rights organizations at the plight of Kashmiri inmates, JKLF chairman said that Kashmiris are being crushed by India and thousands are being oppressed in jails but no one seems to bother. He appealed ICRC and other human rights organizations to intervene and enhance efforts to safeguard these Kashmiri inmates.
