Srinagar, Feb 21: The Pakistani wives of former militants of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday staged a massive protest demonstration, demanding citizenship or travel documents.
Scores of wives along with their children assembled at Press enclave in Lal-chowk and were chanting slogans like “We want Justice”, “Humari mangey poori karo”, and “Hum kya chahte wapsi” in their favour.
The wives said that they have been protesting since 2012, but their demands are yet to be fulfilled, due to which they ‘suffer’ with each passing day.
“Many of us got divorce, while many became widows. Has anyone looked at our situation, and our minor children. Is this rehabilitation?” Misbah said.
“The issue is that we don’t have any documents or any identity. The only identity we have is that she is the wife of a militant. Neither we nor our children can go anywhere. Neither can we send our kids to study outside,” she added.
Another woman Safiya said that “how long shall we protest now, and what’s our mistake.” She said, “we are caged here, and why is the government not responding to our pleas.”
Many of such couples entered India through Nepal route and the informal entry meant no official recognition of such families even as a rehabilitation policy had been announced.
The wives said that “If government had planned a rehabilitation for their own men who were there in Pakistan, and managed to get them back, why didn’t they ponder over the welfare of their families, by ensuring citizenship or travel documents.”
They added that there are around 400 Pakistani women who came to Kashmir with their husbands, under the rehabilitation policy announced during the former CM Omar Abdullah’s tenure in 2010.(CNS)
