Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Wednesday called for a shutdown on November 27 against the “ill-treatment” of Kashmiri prisoners in various jails in Jammu and Kashmir and outside.
Addressing a joint press conference in Abi Guzar on Wednesday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik asked people to observe Nov 27 as “black day”.
They appealed for a shutdown on the day to demand an end to “ill-treatment” of Kashmiri political prisoners.
The duo criticised what they called the onslaughts of government forces in south Kashmir and miserable plight of prisoners lodged in jails in and outside the state.
“The joint resistance leadership has taken a decision to observe a complete shutdown on November 27 against the reign of terror let loose by the government forces in south Kashmir and to register a protest against the pitiable conditions of political prisoners lodged in jails in and outside the state,” Mirwaiz told reporters at the hurriedly called press conference
While Mirwaiz and Malik were present at the news conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani addressed people who had gathered for afternoon prayers at Abi Guzar Masjid on phone.
Mirwaiz said south Kashmir has been converted into a jail and people of four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam were punished for raising their voice and supporting ongoing freedom movement. “Houses are raided during night, inmates harassed and property damaged. The government forces do not respect the human rights and woman folk are molested,” he added.
Giving details of the other second main issue, Mirwaiz renewed his appeal to the Indian and international human rights bodies to inspect jails in and outside Jammu and Kashmir to get a firsthand account of the terrible and inhuman treatment being meted to the Kashmiri prisoners lodged there.
Criticising the government, he said the ill-treatment is being meted out to the political prisoners and are lodged with hardened criminals.
Mirwaiz said the detainees were not criminals but political prisoners who were being subject to detention for their political convictions and outlook and dealing with them “inhumanly is not only a violation of the Geneva conventions of the rights and dignity of prisoners but even against basic human practices and ethics.”
He said that even visitors and relatives who come to see them in jail are also deliberately harassed and tormented by the authorities. All this is done in complete violation of the jail manual which lays emphasis on the honor and dignity of prisoners.
Malik, in his address, said the NIA is being used to suppress kashmiris and made them surrender before the Government of India. Besides harassing the leadership, their kin are “arrested and harassed to make us surrender before the GOI.”
He said: “It is an army and police Raj (rule) in Kashmir valley and the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is mere a puppet. She (CM) has outsmarted the notorious Kuka Parray, who massacred people in ’90s.”
The situation in south Kashmir has returned to ’90s as people, irrespective of age and sex are being asked to leave their homes to allow forces to carry out searches and ransack their households, Malik said, adding the prisoners who have completed their jail terms are re-arrested under fictitious charges.
