Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Sectarary, Arif Laigaroo on Sunday demanded release of the party President, Mehbooba Mufti, ahead of Eid.
“This is the unanimous demand of the PDP that all political prisoners lodged in various jails in and outside J&K should be released ahead of the festival of Eid,” he said, adding hundreds of youth, in jails for minor offences for the last few years, should be released under general amnesty, and as a goodwill gesture in a bid to improve situation in Kashmir.
Laigaroo said they were receiving requests from relatives and families whose near and dear ones were languishing in various jails.
He said they want to cherish the forthcoming Eid festival with their kith and kin presently in jails. “The government must understand the sensitivities involved and release all political prisoners,” he said.
He said Public Safety Act has been “grossly misused” against political prisoners by repeatedly booking them on one pretext or the other. “They (the government) are scared of her (Mehbooba) and are repeatedly booking her under the PSA,” Laigaroo said.