Srinagar: The Governor Satya Pal Malik led administration has not taken any call as to whether any political prisoners or a stone pelter is to be released on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr as has been the practices of all the successive regimes in Jammu and Kashmir in the past.
Every elected government after taking the feedback from the State’s home department about the charges against the political prisoners and if the charges were found as “minor offences”, the government would order the release of those prisoners as a “good-will gesture” on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha.
“Governor has sought the feedback from the Home Department of the State on the issue. He has also sought list of prisoners and stone pelters lodged in various jails and prisons with minor offences.
But no final call has been taken on the release of prisoners or stone pelters on the Eid eve so far,” a top official, who is part of the Governor’s Administration, revealed to KNO, on the condition of anonymity.
A top official in the Governor administration said that any call whether to release the political prisoners would be taken by the Governor Malik himself “after thorough deliberations.”
“Discussions are on but final call will be taken by the Governor himself by Tuesday,” sources in the Governor’s administration told KNO. According sources there is a committee headed by the Commissioner Secretary home with DGP as its members, who review the cases of prisoners ahead of every festival. “The meeting of the panel to review the cases of prisoners and stone pelters is scheduled in a couple of days,” they said.
Figures available with the KNO suggest that not more than 1000 Kashmiri prisoners and stone pelters are lodged within or outside the J&K Jails, who belong to Kashmir.
However, separatists claim that more than 3000 Kashmiri prisoners including more than 100 separatists’ leaders are languishing in various jails of India and Jammu and Kashmir especially New Delhi’s Tihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu’s Kotbalwal, Hiranagar and Kathua in Jammu.
According to sources in the Central Jail, Srinagar, at least 400 prisoners including stone pelters were shifted from the Srinagar central jail since the massive scuffle between inmates and jail authorities in April this year.
Another senior officer in the Governor administration told KNO, that the chances of release of political prisoners and stone pelters this Eid were bleak. “There are no signs of any decision to be taken by the Governor in this regard even though he has sought details of prisoners with minor offences,” the officer said.
