Mehbooba meets LG Sinha, seeks release of prisoners, return of Pandits and peaceful yatra

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, their first formal interaction since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Divulging details about the meeting, Mehbooba Mufti told reporters that she raised several crucial issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir, with special focus on Kashmiri prisoners, the return of Kashmiri Pandits, and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.

The former Chief Minister, as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust, said she urged the Lieutenant Governor to release Kashmiri prisoners who are not facing serious charges, ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha festival.

“I requested LG Manoj Sinha to release such detainees on humanitarian grounds so they can celebrate Eid with their families,” she said.

Highlighting the hardships faced by families of detainees, Mehbooba said she also requested that Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails across different Indian states be brought back to jails within Jammu and Kashmir.

“Their families, mostly from poor backgrounds, are unable to visit or fight legal battles due to distance and cost. They must be brought back,” she asserted.

Mehbooba Mufti said that during the meeting, she raised the long-standing issue of Kashmiri Pandits and proposed sustainable and dignified solutions for their return. “I told the LG that providing free ration or relief material won’t resolve the problem. Pandits need political empowerment,” she said.

She proposed allotting state land to those Kashmiri Pandits who are willing to return and settle in their districts of origin. “It should be in the same place where they were born or lived, not in segregated colonies,” she added.

The PDP chief also asked the administration to introduce flexibility in transfer rules for Pandit government employees serving in Kashmir to ease their difficulties.

On political representation, she said: “I requested the LG to ensure reservation for Pandits in the Assembly instead of nominating them. If they contest elections and interact with Muslim voters, it will lead to genuine integration. Nominations won’t serve the purpose, as such Pandits will stay in Jammu and remain disconnected from the Valley.”

Regarding the annual Amarnath Yatra, Mehbooba said that the people of Kashmir want the pilgrimage to be conducted in a peaceful and secure environment. “We have always welcomed Yatris, and this year too, locals are ready to extend all possible help,” she said.

The PDP leader concluded by saying that her intention was to speak for the voiceless and raise human and political concerns that continue to trouble the people of Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]