Dukhtaran-e-Millat on Sunday appealed the Muslim world including Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in general and Pakistan in particular to take Dr Qasim’s case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Dr Qasim was arrested on February 5, 1993 and booked under section 3 (TADA), under section 302 r/w 120-B RPC. TADA Court Jammu acquitted him and other two accused Dr Muhammad shafi Khan and ghulam qadir but in the case on July 14, 2001 and made the following observation: “The prosecution has miserably failed to prove the case against the accused persons.”
The puppet government challenged the acquittal in the Supreme Court of India which sentenced Dr Qasim to life imprisonment with this direction at the end of the judgment: “They (accused) shall be given benefit of the period already undergone (undertrial period) by them.”
On completion of 14 years, J&K High Court directed the Jail authorities to place Dr Muhammad Qasim’s case before the Review Board for review of his case. The
Review Board while taking into consideration all aspects of the case recommended premature release of Dr Qasim in its meeting held on June 6, 2008.
The J&K Government rejected the Review Board’s Recommendations not on the basis of interpretation of the life imprisonment that life imprisonment means imprisonment of convicts whole natural life but on the basis of J&K Jail Manual Rule 54.1 which, according to Government, debars TADA lifer convicts from release on completion of two-third (14 years) of 20 years.
In a statement, the Secretary General of DeM, Nahida Nasreen said that Dr Qasim is a victim of political vendetta. “We all know that he is a victim of political vendetta. While in other Indian states the rule states that life imprisonment amounts to 14, 18 or 20 years, but in Dr Sb’s case life imprisonment is imprisonment till death”
She said that the reason behind all this is that the Indian state has terribly failed to break the resolve of Dr Qasim, she said. “The reason is his resolve… His undiluted stand on Kashmir issue.”
Nasreen said that despite several ailments, Dr Qasim dedicated his life to the cause and didn’t budge from his stand on the Kashmir dispute.
“We salute his stand and the sacrifices he has made. His wife, the chairperson of DeM, Aasiya Andrabi and his children… They have all been made to suffer…,” Nasreen said.
She said that the Indian state has used all its designs to scatter the family. “All the four have been targeted separately and this is being done in a well thought out process. For a woman, her husband is important… and for kids their parents are important… the indian state kept them apart from each other and then bragged about it.”
Nasreen said that the people of the Muslim world in general and Pakistan in particular are duty bound to plead for Dr Qasim’s case. She said that if India can take the case of its spy to the ICJ, Pakistan should take the steps to take the case of Dr Qasim to the ICJ. “We appeal the people of the Muslim world and government of Pakistan to plead the case in the International Court of Justice,” she said.
She said that Pakistan has an obligation to take this case to the ICJ so that it gets highlighted in the international forums and the Indian atrocious attitude towards the people of Kashmir gets unmasked.
Nasreen said that besides, Dr Qasim there are many other Lifer prisoners languishing in different Indian jails and the Jails of Jammu and Kashmir.
“There are many other cases of Kashmiri Lifers, but since Dr Qasim is the longest serving Lifer and if his case finds a way out, it will make way for other prisoners as well.”
She said that we all have a responsibility towards the family as they have not laid the sacrifices for themselves but for the people of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Personal Secretary of Syedah Aasiyah Andrabi said that the health of Baji Sahiba is deteriorating and appealed the people to pray for her.
“There hasn’t been much improvement in the health of Baji Sahiba,” Sofi Fehmeeda said, “I appeal the people to pray for her speedy recovery.”(KNO)