Srinagar
Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani on Monday warned the government of serious consequences if political prisoners at the Srinagar Central Jail are shifted to jails outside the Valley.
“Hurriyat will not remain silent over this unjustified and unnecessary step,” Geelani said in a statement.
Geelani expressed deep concern that government was planning to shift detainees on large scale from CJ Srinagar to Jammu jails. “In this connection, 23 detainees have been shifted since February 1. A list of more detainees has been prepared and they have been asked without any justification to be ready for the shifting,” he alleged.
“Those who have been shifted include Khursheed Ahmad Lone, Irfan Ahmad Khan, Gowher Ahmad Sheikh, Riyaz Ahmad Mir, Umer Rashid Want, Nisar Ahmad Lone, Mushtaq Ahmad Malla, Meraj-u-Din Nanda, Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, Shabir Ahmad Mir, Seerat ul Hassan, Mufti Abdul Ahad and Feroz Ahmad Dar toKuthwa, Hira Nagar and Udhampur,” Geelani said.
“The detainees are being shifted primarily due to political vendetta. The main motive behind this move is to subject the detainees to physical and mental agony so that they will relinquish their mission,” Geelani said, adding that the decision is “unconstitutional” as according to a ruling by Supreme Court, detainees should be lodged in places where their relatives can easily meet them with ease and without much wastage of time.
Hurriyat (G) chairman expressed deep anguish and concern over the miserable plight of “illegally” detained Kashmiris lodged in different jails saying the inmates were being ill-treated and subjected to mental and physical torture in jails. He said that the detainees in Jails were deprived of medical treatment.
“We have reports that youth belonging to Kashmir Valley are being targeted and subjected to the worst treatment. The unavailability of medicines and medical care and substandard quality of food is taking a toll on their health,” he said.
Geelani termed as “state terrorism” the slapping of 5th Public Safety Act (PSA) on Mohammad Assad ullah Parey, saying, “It is highly condemnable.”
Geelani while hailing the sacrifices of prisoners said that all Kashmiri detainees are “living legends and icons for the resistance movement”.
He appealed the ICRC, Asia Watch, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to take notice of “this lawlessness” and raise voice against the unabated use of PSA by state authorities.
Geelani asked people to provide every possible support to affected families and those languishing in prisons.
