Srinagar, February 19 (KNO) : Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani has warned the government of serious consequences if “political prisoners” incarnated at the Srinagar Central Jail are shifted to jails outside the Valley. “Hurriyat will not remain silent over this unjustified and unnecessary step,” Geelani said, according to a statement issued here.
Statement issues to Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that Hurriyat chairman expressed deep concern that government was planning to shift detainees on large scale from central jail Srinagar to Jammu jails. “In this connection 23 detainees have been shifted since February 1,said Geelani. Quoting relatives ofinmates, Geelani said that a list of more detainees has been prepared and they have been asked without any justification to be ready for the shifting,” Geelani alleged.
“Those who have been shifted include Khursheed Ahmad Lone, Irfan Ahmad Khan, Gowher Ahmad Sheikh, Riyaz Ahmad Mir, Umer Rashid Want, Nisar Ahmad Lone, Mushtaq Ahmad Malla, Meraj-u-Din Nanda, Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, Shabir Ahmad Mir, Seerat ul Hassan, Mufti Abdul Ahadand Feroz Ahmad Dar toKuthwa, Hira Nagarand Udhampur, statement added.
“The detainees are being shifted primarily due to political vendetta. The main motive behind this move is to subject the detainees to physical and mental agony so that they will relinquish their mission,” Geelani said, adding that the decision is unconstitutional as according to a ruling by Indian Supreme Court, detainees should be lodged in places where their relatives can easily meet them with ease &without much wastage of time. Geelani expressed deep anguish and concern over the miserable plight of illegally detained Kashmiris lodged in different jails saying the inmates were being ill-treated and subjected to mental and physical torture in jails. He said that the detainees in Jails were deprived of medical treatment.
“We have reports that youth belonging to Kashmir Valley are being targeted and subjected to the worst treatment. The unavailability of medicines and medical care and substandard quality of food is taking a toll on their health,” he said. Syed Ali Geelani today termed as “state terrorism” the slapping of 5th Public Safety Act (PSA) on Mohammad Assad ullah Parey, saying “It is highly condemnable.” Referring to “prolonged and unlawful detention” of Parey, Geelani said, “he is languishing in jail since long, however, it is quite disheartening that he is being subjected to vengeance by state authorities.
” The APHC Chairman while hailing the sacrifices of prisoners said that all Kashmiri detainees are living legends and icons for resistance movement. The sacrifices rendered by Shabir Ahmad Shah, MasaratAllam Bhat, Dr. Shafi Shariati, Dr. Muhammad Qasim, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Ayaz Akbar, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Pir Saifullah, Raja Meraj-u-Din Kalwal, Naeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Shahid-ul-Islam, Mohammad Yusuf Mir , Amir Hamza, Kamran Yousuf, Shahid Yousuf, Javed Ahmad Bhat, Dr. Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Muzaffar Ahmed Dar, Mansoor Ahmed, Tariq Ahmed, Ghulam Mohammad Khan Sopori, Mohammad Ramzan Khan, Abdul Ahad Parah, Mohammad Rafiq Ganai, Mohammad Yousaf Falahi, Hafeez Allah Mir, Shakeel Ahmed, Farooq Tawheedi, Raies Ahmad, Abdul Samad Inqilabi &Molana Sarjan Barkati are praiseworthy, he said.
“We are proud of these warriors for their commitment and dedication. They are role models and icons for Kashmiris and beacon lights for the ongoing freedom movement,” he added. Geelani appealed the ICRC, Asia Watch, Amnesty International and other Human Rights Organizations to come to the rescue of these detainees and take notice of this lawlessness and added that these agencies must raise their voice against the unabated use of PSA by state authorities in the occupied state and asked to devote their attention towards this injustice with the detainees and take up this issue with authorities. Syed Ali Geelani asked people to provide every possible support to effected families and thosedetained during ongoing freedom movement. (KNO)