Srinagar, Oct 29 (KNS): J&K Awami National Conference Senior Vice President Muzaffar Shah on Thursday expressed profound dismay over the reported disappearance of 16,397 women and girls in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, demanding immediate accountability from the Lieutenant Governor-led administration, urgent intervention by the elected government and a clear response from the National Commission for Women (NCW).
With 4,271 individuals still untraced, including 1,016 minor girls, Shah said the scale of the crisis demanded concrete action, transparent disclosures and sustained investigative efforts rather than routine official assurances.
“When thousands of women and girls remain untraced, silence is not an answer and statistics are not accountability,” he asserted.
Holding the LG-led administration answerable for policing outcomes, Shah sought an updated district-wise account of missing persons, the status of pending investigations and a time-bound strategy to intensify tracing efforts, particularly for the more than 1,000 missing minors. He demanded clarity on the measures being taken to establish the circumstances of their disappearance and ensure that no case is allowed to languish without sustained follow-up.
Shah in a statement issued here, urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and elected representatives to raise the issue forcefully with the Lieutenant Governor and the Union Government, stressing that the elected dispensation must use its democratic mandate to secure coordinated investigations and meaningful answers for affected families.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“The elected government cannot remain a passive spectator while thousands of families endure uncertainty. This is a question of public safety, human dignity and governmental responsibility,” he said.
Questioning the absence of a visible response from the National Commission for Women, Shah demanded that it take immediate cognizance, seek an explanation from the J&K administration and intervene to safeguard the rights of missing women and minors. He stressed that women's safety requires institutional action, not ceremonial statements.
Calling for impartial, evidence-based investigations into every case, including any indicators of abduction, trafficking or domestic distress, Shah described the scale of the disappearances as a grave public concern.
He insisted that authorities must deliver tangible results, restore public confidence and ensure that no family is left without answers or the assurance that its anguish matters.(KNS)