Kashmir’s Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) today termed the report released by Criminal Investigation department on Central Jail Srinagar as “illogical, ridiculous and bundle of lies.”
The JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said, “Following recent escape of a prisoner from SMHS hospital here, the rulers, their agencies and police have started penalizing political prisoners and other inmates especially at the central jail Srinagar.”
In a joint statement, the leaders said, “After a series of false and concocted reports by some journalists, biased media channels and papers, many innocent political detainees have been shifted to outside Kashmir jails. To tighten the noose on other inmates ridiculous reports are being framed and spread through media and other means.”
The statement said, “The CID has released a report in the media in which it has said that Central Jail Srinagar is being used as main recruitment hub by militants and youth are being selected and lured from here to join armed struggle.
“CID in its report has blamed the traditional Ameer-I-Zindan institution for the mess and termed it as a parallel administration running and facilitating militancy which is as a blatant lie.
“From Mahaz-I-Raishumari days in 1960s, Ameer-I-Zindan institution has been a forum facilitating good relations between jail authorities and prisoners and often this forum has benefited jail authorities to run jails smoothly but today this forum is also being slandered to inflict more trouble on Kashmiri inmates.
“Authorities are telling us that Srinagar central jail and people lodged there are promoting militancy from this jail. This is a deliberate attempt to shift the blame. People at the helm know it very well that youth are taking refuge in arms due to police torture, humiliation and aggression,” it said.
The JRL said: “One prisoner escaped from SMHS hospital but five others who were with him returned to jail on their own. Nobody is discussing this aspect of the story but instead of that those who chose to return are now being victimized by police, CID and agencies and are being blamed for recruiting militants.”
“Prior to 1988, it was police atrocities, torture and humiliations that pushed a whole generation to the wall and youth were forced to pick guns and start a new phase of people’s resistance. From 2008 till today, Kashmiris at the insistence of international community transformed their struggle, started a new non-violent revolution and are continuing with it. Instead of honoring this peaceful gesture of Kashmiris, New Delhi is using all the ways and means to crush our struggle with an iron fist,” the statement added,
“Victimizing Kashmiri prisoners is actually a part of operation all out that is going on at all levels to defeat struggle of Kashmir. Recently, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti warned Kashmiris of bringing thousands of guns and establishing new forces camps and torture centers. We want to tell her to go ahead and repeat what her father did in 1990. Such threatening cannot break our resolve and our resistance will grow stronger day by day,” the statement added.