Despite amnesty to stone pelters was PDP’s war cry in the run up of 2014 assembly polls in the state, the youth are still waiting for the promises done by the Mufti led government.Pertinently, PDP including Member of Parliament and its senior leader, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh have been heard promising the electorate that the party will revoke all the cases against the alleged stone throwers who were booked in during NC-Cong regime while Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar described these youth as ‘unfortunate victims of Omar Abdullah government.The number of youth who had been promised by the present regime during their election campaigning that their cases will be revoked after they will assume the charge in the state said that nothing has been done in this regard.
While talking to KNS, the youth who were booked during 2010 agitation said that they were promised that if PDP will form the next dispensation in the state then they will revoke all the cases against the youth booked in 2010. “Amnesty to youth was a war cry of present regime during 2014 elections but after they came into the power, the whole promises done by the PDP leaders were only hoax,” they said.Shakir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Natipora who was booked in 2010 agitation and against whom several cases have been registered, said, “Due to the delay in providing general amnesty, the authorities have put our educational career at stake.”He said that he including his classmates was proposed to go outside of the state to pursue higher education, adding, “The non-clearance of our case forces us to stop our studies till the authorities won’t provide any relief to us.”
Khan who was allegedly involved in a charge of stone pelting under FIR No. 204/2010 in September 2010 said, “We approached several higher ups in this regard but all has fallen into deaf ears as nothing has been done so far.”“During the election campaigning People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had said that they will revoke all the cases against the youth who were involved in stone pelting in 2010 in case they come to the power. However, more than two months have passed but the Mufti led government is yet to take any initiative on the matter,” Ahmad added.Muhammad Ishfaq, another youth who was also booked during 2010 agitation under FIR no. 204/2010 in Chanapora police station said, “As per government claims, we were expecting that the new dispensation will definitely revoke all the cases against us at earliest but unfortunately after passing more than 60 days of government formation, the cases are still biting dust in court.”
Ishfaq against whom eight cases including 147, 148, 149, 332, 336, 346, 427 and 188 RPC has been registered in the police station, said that they appear before court in every month and have been asked by the magistrate to bring the other youth who were also booked at the same time in stone pelting, adding, “I can’t identify the persons who were booked along with me how will I find them.”Appealing new dispensation of Jammu and Kashmir to provide amnesty to them, Ahmad said, “We are pinning a hope on this government for the clearance of our cases, which are pending since last four years. We hope this government will clear our cases at earliest so that we can pursue our higher education without any plights.”When contacted, General Secretary of PDP, Nizam-ud-din Bhat, said that they are committed to revoke the cases against the stone pelters. “We are on the way to revoke the case against them but the delay occurred due to some cases, which have been wrongly filed,” he said.Bhat while talking to KNS said that they are stuck on some cases which are good in number as same has been wrongly filed.”Some of the youth here have been booked under criminal charges due to which delay occurred,” he said.He further stated that the promise made by PDP won’t prove hoax as they will fulfill their promises but the people of Kashmir have to be patient. (KNS)