All the matters are being dealt by Home Ministry of India and even a peon can oppose any move in this regard: Geelani
SRINAGAR: Octogenarian separatist leader and Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Geelani has termed the government’s announcement of releasing a few detainees on Eid as a joke and stressed for release of all Kashmiri prisoners.
“574 Kashmiri youth without constitutional justification are languishing in local and other prisons of India and the majority of them are not being released and are subjected to political vengeance.
50 political prisoners since last five to ten years have been in prison and equal number of youths have been sentenced for life imprisonment,” Geelani said in a statement.
“Muhammad Shabir, Raj Deen and three other pro-freedom youth from Kathua and Jammu have been awarded death sentences, while ignoring all norms,” the statement said.
Geelani said that Kashmir is a political issue and figures among the states declared as conflict zones and “as a matter of fact all those people related to this conflict are to be treated in the category of political prisoners and according to international law, prosecution under criminal laws and therefore the sentences awarded are not justified.”
While demanding the immediate release of all detainees he said “Omar Abdullah leads the most weak and incompetent administration and till date he is not able to release even a single prisoner.”
“All the matters are being dealt by Home Ministry of India and even a peon can oppose any move in this regard,” Geelani said.
While referring to the statement of SSP Srinagar wherein he had said that 15 percent of youth have been arrested and police is looking for remaining 85 percent, Geelani said “It is ironical that on the one hand the announcement with respect to a few prisoners are being announced and same time a fresh arrest drive has been started by Kashmir police.”
He accused the authorities of having imposed martial law like restrictions.
(KNS)
