Brides’ march to Rajbhawan foiled, many detained

Srinagar : Scores of wives of former Kashmiri militants who married across LoC and returned along with wives and children to this side of Kashmir under rehabilitation policy announced in 2010, Monday took out a march to Rajbhawan, but were detained.
Witnesses told news agency—Kashmir News Observer that a group of around eleven women, comprising ex Kashmiri militant’s spouses were detained by the police on way to Rajbhawan here and lodged them at Rammunshi Bagh police station.
Dozens of women who married Kashmiri youth who instead of picking arms across LoC started routine work there, returned to Kashmir through Nepal border in the year 2010 under the government’s rehabilitation policy for former militants who had crossed over to the other side of Line of Control (LoC) for arms training in 1990 and wanted to return to their homes to live a normal life again.
Protesting women who lived in different parts of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) since their arrival in this part of Kashmir, nine years ago have been hitting streets to press for their demands including citizenship rights and issuance of travel documents.
Witnesses said that these ill-fated women had earlier sought an appointment with Lieutenant Governor at Rajbhawan to apprise him about the problems they face in Kashmir and were asked to visit after a week or two. They were however detained by the police on way to Rajbhawan near Gupkar Road here this afternoon and later lodged at police station Rammunshi Bagh.
“Our future seems bleak in Kashmir as we are treated as foreigners and not Kashmiri’s. Our children are denied admission in schools. We cannot move back to Pakistan nor can we meet our parents,” said one of the protesting woman, after her release.
She appealed the Lieutenant Governor to help them getting travel documents and Indian citizenship rights or else deport us back to Pakistan as we cannot live a nomadic life anymore,” she added