Hurriyat Conference (G) leaders and activists staged a peaceful protest after Friday prayers at Hyderpora here against the prolonged detention of Hurriyat leaders and alleged ill-treatment meted out to them by the jail authorities especially in Tihar Jail, New Delhi.
Addressing the protesters, the Hurriyat leaders expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health condition of Peer Saifullah in Tihar jail. “We strongly condemn the continued prolonged detention of political prisoners. It is an extreme vandalism and coercion which depicts a martial law like situation,” a Hurriyat (G) spokesman quoted the leaders as having said on the occasion.
They said, “We demand immediate release of all political prisoners including leaders lodged in and outside state particularly in Tihar Jail including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehraj-ud-din Kalwal, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, Shahid-ul-Islam, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Ahmad, Zahoor Ahmad Watali, Aasiya Andrabi, Nahida Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sofi.”
“By pushing people to the wall, Delhi will achieve nothing. Rulers should face the political leaders and workers on political turf,” the leaders said, appealing to the Amnesty International, Asia Watch and other international organizations for human rights to break silence and take cognizance of the plight of ‘suppressed and oppressed’ people of Jammu and Kashmir and fulfill their obligations in accordance with human rights specified for the political prisoners.
Meanwhile, the spokesman strongly condemned the raids on the houses of Muslim League leader Rafiq Ahmad Ganie and political activist Sabzar Ahmad of Arinhal, Bijbehara.