Srinagar, Nov 19, TEN Network | The Member of Parliament (MP) Rajya Sabha and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Mir Muhammad Fayaz on Tuesday shot a letter to the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, demanding restoration of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir and immediate release of all the caged leaders including the three former chief ministers.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the three former chief ministers of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State- Dr. Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are among the leaders who were put under detention on August 5, when the government in centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories.
In a letter to the Union Minister, PDP MP Mir Fayaz said that “we strongly demand the release of all political leaders and party workers as well as the 3 former chief ministers who have been detained since more than three and a half months now.”
The senior PDP leader also informed the Union Home Minister about the recent alleged manhandling of political leaders. “Recently, when the detained leaders were being shifted to a new sub-jail, they were dealt in a very humiliating and downgrading manner and this heavily outraged the detained as well. They have been subject to extremely scanty and indignant living conditions in detention,” he wrote in a letter.
The letter added that “others who have been jailed over this period of three and a half months and subsequently shifted outside J&K also possess the right to legal remedies and their condition need immediate attention and they should be released and sent back.”
“The MLA hostel at the moment houses 33 detained political leaders, all coming from various forays of politics in Kashmir to undertake the democratic the democratic process in Kashmir, the release of all the jailed leaders is a pre-requisite and essential as well,” the letter reads, as per KNO Correspondent.
In the beginning of the letter, Mir said, “On 5th August 2019, the Government of India took the decision to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcate the State into two Union Territories. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has seen a massive rise in the presence of armed forces and the severe curtailment of human rights.”
“We still believe that democracy is the most potent method to resolve these issues and differences that have created unrest among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir is facing a huge humanitarian and political crisis since 108 days now. There is fear psychosis, ambiguity and insecurity in the hearts and minds of people about their future in Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter further reads.
The letter added that “the people of J&K have also been cast to a very intense communication blackout, which has affected not only communication between people all over the Valley but has affected the functioning of daily life. It is fundamental that the highest authorities within the Government of India reach out to the people of J&K and resolve their queries about the uncertainty, leaderlessness and the consistent lockdown that they have been facing.” (KNO)
