Srinagar, May 13: In the search of her son for 12 years in the jails and detention centers from Kathmandu to New Delhi to Kashmir, tears have almost dried up in the eyes of Zubaida Begum, but hope is still alive she believes that his son would again hug him at their Safa Kadal home in old city.
 Zubaida says her son Ghulam Muhammad Sofi was arrested in Nepal by some unknown security agencies in 2000. “He was running a shop in National Cottage Emporium in Kathmandu. As we heard about his arrest, we rushed to Nepal. But the security agencies denied any knowledge about his arrest.”
 Zubaida also accused Jammu and Kashmir police and authorities in Delhi of ignoring her pleas. “No one helped us. They never bothered to write to authorities. Where will we go?” she asks.
 After being ignored by the all the concerned quarters in helping her to trace her son,  Sofi family approached National Human Rights Commission which registered a case no.135/9/2000-02. HNRC had issued notice to then Director General of Police and secretary Ministry of External affairs to appear in person.
 It is not the higher officials in India and abroad whom the aged parents and family had approached former Chief Minister Mufti Muhamad Sayeed, then deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma who they say had even wrote a letter to Home Minister, ‘but nothing happened’ “ Mufti Sayeed also assured me that he will be released in ten days, but now so many years have passed, my son is still in jail.
 Now the family has pinned hope on the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to use his good offices for his release. “He also has children. He can understand my pain. We appeal him to help us trace our son,” she pleads.
 Despite the claims of Nepal Police that they do not have knowledge about his arrest, Zubaida says that two persons from Zaina Kadal area of Srinagar had seen him in Police station. “These two persons were also arrested on the same day.”
 The family says that they had even registered an FIR in the Safa Kadal police station.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 IST