Srinagar
Jammu Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) has strongly condemned the extension of the Public Safety Act on its party President Dr Shah Faesal and demanded his immediate release along with all other political prisoners.
In a statement, party Vice President Feroze Peerzada termed the extension of PSA as an attempt to silence voices of reason and dissent in J&K.
“It is unfortunate that the central government keep committing the same mistake of weakening the democratic forces in J&K which will result in further alienating people,” Feroze said.
JKPM Vice President Advocate Syed Iqbal Tahir stated that Dr Shah Faesal who had an illustrious career joined public life to bring in a sense of honesty and empathy in politics.
“His (Shah Faesal) hope was to carve a new era of ‘Disruptive politics’ in J&K – where the youth actively engage with the democratic system they have shunned over the last few decades, ” Advocate Tahir said and added that Dr Faesal is deeply loved by people of all ages across all regions of J&K.
Terming Dr Faesal a well-known personality across South Asia Advocate Tahir said, “he is a sincere person and he wanted to bring about a positive change in Kashmir which unfortunately was not allowed by the Central Government.”
Speaking about the extension of PSA on Shah Faesal, Iqbal Tahir added that Dr Faesal’s arrest has been “very unfair” in the first place. His continued detention is a grave misuse of the Public Safety Act in Jammu and Kashmir and extremely shocking.
“By extending his detention and keeping Dr Faesal in detention, the government is doing a great disservice to the principles of democracy & dissent and adding to the alienation and dissatisfaction of youth of J&K, for whom Dr Faesal is a beacon of hope,” Tahir Iqbal said.
The statement further said that the Government must unconditionally release of all political prisoners being held in various jails inside and outside Jammu Kashmir.
