SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged the judiciary to take cognisance of the plight of Jammu and Kashmir prisoners lodged in jails outside the region, calling for comprehensive reforms in the criminal justice system to ensure justice, transparency, and humanity.
Speaking to reporters outside the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Jammu, Mehbooba said that courts remain the “last hope” for hundreds of families whose loved ones are imprisoned in far-off states such as Agra, Bareilly, and Haryana. She said that behind every case lies a human story — a mother waiting for her son, a father growing old in silence, and a child longing for their parent’s return.
“The issue of prisoners is not political; it is about justice, humanity, and compassion. These young men are not statistics; they are our children, the sons of this soil. They deserve dignity, a fair trial, and a chance to rebuild their lives,” Mehbooba said.
Highlighting the hardships faced by families, she said that many lack the means to travel long distances to meet their kin. “Trials are delayed, hearings are held in their absence, and justice remains out of reach. This is not the idea of justice our Constitution envisions,” she added.
Mehbooba urged the Chief Justice to initiate reforms, including ensuring local lodgement of prisoners, speedy and transparent trials, and upholding the principle of ‘bail, not jail’. She also called for the proper implementation of parole, furlough, and remission rights, as well as for treating medical bail as a constitutional safeguard rather than a favour.
“Prisons must reform lives, not destroy them,” she said, adding that the focus should be on humane treatment and rehabilitation rather than prolonged incarceration.
Expressing faith in the judiciary, Mehbooba said she believes justice will ultimately prevail. “We have hope in our courts and believe the day is not far when the judiciary will ensure the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ — the return of all Jammu and Kashmir prisoners to their homeland,” she concluded.
