Suhail Khan
SRINAGAR, Nov 03: The National Conference (NC) has launched a sharp critique against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti for filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the return of Kashmiri prisoners to jails within the Union Territory.
National Conference chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, accused the former chief minister of political theatrics, stating as per Kashmir Convener, she is “doing drama in court.” highlighted what he called her hypocrisy, reminding the public that Mufti herself authorized detentions under the Public Safety Act (PSA) which she now challenges.
“She is the one who signed the PSAs for these boys in 2016-17,” stated MLA Zadibal.
While expressing support for the cause of prisoner release, Sadiq said that the National Conference had already committed to this goal in its own manifesto. “We appreciate this step; however, the National Conference has clearly stated in its manifesto that the youth who are lodged in jails should be released, especially those who are in prisons outside [J&K],” he said.
To substantiate his accusation, Sadiq cited official figures, claiming that during Mehbooba Mufti’s tenure as chief minister from April 2017 to August 2018, “1,004 Kashmiri youth were slapped with the PSA.”
“And today, the same Mehbooba Mufti is approaching the court seeking the shifting of Kashmiri prisoners back to the Valley. This is what we call dirty politics,” he added.
The controversy stems from PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s appearance before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday. She urged the court to take a humanitarian view and order the transfer of all undertrial prisoners from the Union Territory who are currently held in jails outside it.
In her petition, the former Chief Minister questioned why such detainees, arrested before and after 2019 “on the basis of suspicion,” continue to be incarcerated far from home. She contrasted this with the bail or parole granted to convicts like Asaram and Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who were found guilty of heinous crimes.
The PIL requests the court to mandate that these prisoners be brought back to J&K unless authorities provide specific, written reasons justifying their continued detention outside the Union Territory.
Following the hearing, Mehbooba Mufti elaborated on her stance in a post on X, writing: “As a mother and as a former Chief Minister, I’ve approached the J&K High Court seeking the Ghar Wapsi of our prisoners lodged in distant jails. No mother should die waiting for her son. No child should sleep wondering when their parent will return. This is not politics, it’s a mother’s cry for justice, compassion, and humanity.”
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