Srinagar, Mar 11 (KNS): The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Saturday held a protest demonstration at City Centre Lal Chowk against the inhuman treatment of prisoners by the state administration and demanded their immediate release.
The protests were led by advocate Fayaz Ahmad Sodagar, Er Farooq Ahmad Khan, and Molvi Bashir Ahmad.
On the occasion, advocate Sodagar while talking to media said: “The ruler class has turned the State into a virtual jail where people irrespective of their age are put behind bars. The prisoners are treated in a very inhuman manner.”
“Those arrested while struggling for the liberation of their land from foreign aggression or occupation fall into the domain of ‘prisoners of war’ and should not be treated as criminals. Even they are not provided any medical facility,” he said.
Sodagar said release orders were issued for many among those arrested during the uprising but police by openly violating the court orders re-arrested them and even booked them under PSA.
Prisoners in several jails of the State particularly the Baramulla sub-jail are facing immense hardship where inmates are beaten and subjected to mental trauma.
He said many prisoners like Dr Muhammad Qasim Faktoo, Dr Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Latief Ahmad Raja, Mirza Nisar, Mehmood Ali, Javaid Ahmad Khan, Mehmood Topiwala, and others are serving life imprisonment in Tihar and Rajasthan jails.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“The Indian Supreme Court had itself passed the ruling that a detainee should be kept in the jail which is nearest to his home so that he can easily meet his family but what prevails here is the lawlessness of the champions of farcical slogans of ‘battle of ideas’,” he said.
Advocate also condemned the continuous arrest of leaders, district presidents, and activists of Freedom Party, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and various resistance parties saying, “This is nothing but the frustration of the so-called government.”
Meanwhile, on DFP chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah’s directions, advocate Sodagar led a party delegation to Telwan, Acchabal and expressed condolence with the family of Muslim League general secretary Muhammad Rafiq Ganaie whose mother passed away.
“It is extremely condemnable and shameful that Rafiq was not allowed to offer the Namaz-e-Jinaza of his mother. The so-called champions of democracy stand badly exposed,” Sodagar said. (KNS)