Srinagar
Welcoming the decisions of Tamil Nadu government to release those involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, MLA Langate and AIP President Er Rasheed on Tuesday sought unconditional release of all Kashmiri political prisoners including Qasim Faktoo, Masrat Aalam and others languished in different jails since decades.
Rasheed while talking to reporters in Srinagar said the decision to release killers of Rajiv Gandhi has exposed the double standards of the state. Being worst victims of state terrorism Kashmiris welcome Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to release those involved in killing of Rajiv Gandhi, but they have a right to know that why cannot be people like Qasim Faktoo, Masrat Aalam and others be released who are not criminals and killers but political prisoners and are seeking just resolution to political dispute, the spokesman in a statement said.
“May Rahul Gandhi answer if he could claim in the UK to have forgiven killers of his father, why could not Congress Government forgive Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Ghuroo. It is strange to see that New Delhi is always in hurry to hang Kashmiris and does not return even their dead bodies, but finds it an act of nationalism to release convicts and killers if they are either non-Kashmiris or non-Muslims,” the spokesman quoted Rasheed as saying.
He said the government must show some respect towards its duties and release all Kashmiri political prisoners without any further excuses.
Rasheed also appealed NC president Farooq Abdullah and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti to call an all-party meet to develop a consensus among various parties about carrying forward their efforts to find an everlasting resolution to Kashmir dispute.
Rasheed also condemned the use of force against protesters in Handwara and Langate towns by government forces today after the death of two militants in the encounter at Guloora.
