Srinagar, Jan 13 (KNS): The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Friday expressed strong resentment over the continuous house arrest of its chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah who was released recently after six months.
In a statement issued to KNS, DFP secretary general Moulana Abdullah Tari said Shah has spent 30 years of his life in jails and the “puppet” administration by incarcerating him are resorting to political vengeance.
He said since Shah was released from jail two weeks ago, authorities have continuously put him under house arrest and didn’t allow him to offer congregational Friday prayers.
Criticising authorities, Tari said such “undemocratic” acts puncture the balloon of the so-called ‘battle of ideas’. He questioned whether the ‘freedom of expression’ is the right enjoyed only by those in power?
Giving details of party chairman’s incarceration period, Moulana said from 2011 till date, Shabir Ahmad Shah has been in police detention or under house arrest for a period of 40 months and 13 days and during this time he was barred from offering 230 Friday and 12 Eid prayers.
“During the incarceration period, many of Shah Sahib’s close relatives passed away but he wasn’t allowed to attend the last rites,” he said.
Slamming those at helm of affairs, the DFP secretary general said people still remember the dramas this (ruling) class used to enact before receiving the power in charity from New Delhi. “People still remember how these people used to visit door-to-door, shed crocodile tears, and vehemently criticise the then rulers for launching crackdown on the resistance leadership. Now, PDP itself proved that there is not an iota of difference between the Sheikh and Mufti families as both are servants of New Delhi,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the ruling class, Tari said those who used to make big promises of starting the double currency, self-rule, and dialogue with the resistance leadership have forgotten everything after coming to power.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
He said PDP by entering into “unholy” alliance with BJP has proven its government to be the most “useless” and “selfish” one as for power it turned the whole State into a virtual jail.
Meanwhile, Moulana Abdullah Tari expressed concern over the continuous arrest of leaders, district presidents, and activists of various resistance parties saying dozens of Freedom Party leaders and activists from Shopian, Kulgam, Islamabad, and Chenab Valley continue to be behind bars.
He also condemned the “unjustified” prolonging of the detention of Freedom Party’s leaders and activists among which the provincial president Jammu Moulana Abdul Qayoom, Khurshid Ahmad Bagwan, Ghulam Mohammad, Abdul Rashid, district president Pulwama Mohammad Amin, district president Kupwara Peer Inayatullah, Abdul Rashid, Aashiq Ahmad, Mohammad Shafi, Bashir Ahmad, Manzoor Ahmad, Abdul Rehman, and various pro-freedom leaders and activists.
He said many of these are booked under black laws like PSA. “This is nothing but the frustration of the so-called government which should instead compete with us on a political platform,” Moulana said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah on Friday expressed deep grief over the sad demise of prominent religious scholar Moulana Abdul Hye Shopiani who was the brother of Moulana Abdul Qayoom Shopiani and cousin of party’s secretary general Moulana Abdullah Tari.
Expressing condolence and solidarity with the bereaved family and Moulana Tari, Shah said this family has rendered great services in the religious and literary fields besides contributed a lot in upholding the values of Tawheed and Sunnah in the State of Jammu Kashmir.
A party delegation led by Moulana Bashir Ahmad visited the bereaved family and extended Shabir Ahmad Shah’s condolence and solidarity with them. (KNS)