SRINAGAR: CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to shift Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the Valley back to local prisons, saying that their continued detention away from home was causing immense hardship to families.
Speaking during the Zero Hour of Autumn Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Tarigami said there was no shortage of prisons in Kashmir and, if required, more should be built to accommodate detainees locally.
Raising the issue, Tarigami said he had received an urgent call from Shabir Shah’s family expressing deep distress over his deteriorating health condition. “I got a call from the family of Shabir Shah, who are extremely worried and said his condition is critical.
“Even in the most notorious dictatorships, families are allowed to meet prisoners,” Tarigami said, adding that keeping them outside Kashmir denies families that basic right.
He appealed to the government to review the policy and ensure that prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir are kept within the region to allow regular family visits.
