World community urged to take notice of Kashmiri prisoners’ plight

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Front (JKNF) has expressed grave concern over the continued detention of its imprisoned chairman Naeem Ahmad Khan and hundreds of other leaders and activists languishing in different jails in and outside Kashmir.

In a statement issued here on Friday, the JKNF spokesman  Shafiq-u Rehman said that Naeem Ahmed Khan and other leaders were arrested by NIA authorities in July 2017 and shifted him to Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail.

“Since then Khan faced extremely difficult conditions inside the infamous Tihar Jail where besides other leaders several women leaders have been lodged under the guise of fabricated allegations”, the spokesman said.

Voicing his serious concern over the deteriorating health condition of Nayeem Ahmed Khan, he said, “Khan has been languishing in jail despite suffering from various acute ailments”.

Terming Khan’s illegal detention as a political vendetta he said, “Although no charges have yet been proved against Nayeem Ahmed Khan or others”. He said that Kashmiri leaders were being subjected harsh and inhuman treatment in the jails just for raising their voice for the voiceless Kashmiris who were reeling under the Indian occupation.

 “It is unfortunate that the judiciary of India is not taking any action in view of their condition, which clearly shows the Indian institutions’ bias against Kashmiris”, he maintained.

Given the volatile situation the spokesman said that it was incumbent upon the international community to influence the government of Indian to ensure early release of all political prisoners who have been left to rot in jails far away from their homes. Referring Indian government’s hostile approach he said that the violent nationalism peddled by the BJP has pushed the entire disputed region where people’s fundamental freedoms are severely restricted.