Senior Pro-freedom leader and Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement Chairman Zaffer Akbar Bat Wednesday chaired party meeting in downtown Srinagar and demanded release of political prisoners who have completed their terms.Party meeting was attended by senior members of salvation movement and current prevailing situation was discussed at length.Addressing the meeting, Zaffer Akbar Bhat paid glowing tributes to martyrs who laid down their lives for peaceful resolution of Kashmir conflict and wowed to take the ongoing freedom struggle to its logical conclusion. On the occasion, Zaffer Akbar Bhat asked party leaders and members to intensify party’s public contact program.He also demanded release of political prisoners who have completed their terms and slammed authorities for registering baseless cases against Kashmiri students.“It is ironic that those innocent detainees who have completed their terms are still lashing in jails. The country which is beating drums to have a vibrant Judiciary is not releasing these prisoners on Court directions too,” Zaffer said in a statement.He said that the condition of most of the prisoners has worsened due non-availability of basic medical facilities in jails across the country while in Kashmir maximum jails are overcrowded.
“Prolonging their days in captivity and unleashing tyranny on them is against all international laws and brazen violation of human rights,” he added.Zaffer demanded release of all Kashmiri political prisoners, who have completed their terms. “Many prisoners have completed their terms and courts have ordered their release but Indian government is showing reluctance in releasing which is worst kind of rights violations,” he said.He also demanded release of those who have been arrested without charges or on spurious charges of “sedition” — often simply for expressing political dissent.He asked India to end that the culture of registering cases against those Kashmiris who are peacefully expressing their dissent and also end the culture of harassing and arresting Kashmiri Youth.Blaming draconian laws for the ongoing human rights violations, Zaffer demanded revocation of the draconian laws like AFSPA and PSA — rooted in the most repressive phase of the British colonial period. (KNS)