PDP demands release of prisoners

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 1: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today demanded immediate release of all political prisoners and speedy and impartial investigations into recent civilian killings.
The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party that met here with the party president Mehbooba Mufti in chair condemned the Government’s arbitrary actions against employees including a recent spree of illegal terminations.
The meeting that was held at the residence of Mehbooba also expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation and spike in violence levels.
The PAC expressed anguish over the spree of recent arrests and initiation of action against students within and outside J&K. It termed the Government action as uncalled-for and resolved that the party would explore and extend all possible help, including legal, to the victims of such action.
It also expressed serious concerns over New Delhi’s renewed efforts to create and foster new fault lines between the people of Jammu and Kashmir aimed at dividing and further disempowering the people.
The PAC observed that resorting to naked communalism and pitting people against each other on the basis of religion, caste, sect and ethnicity are the only tools of the BJP to cover-up its failure in Governance hence divisive policies are gaining fresh ground and are being promoted unabashedly.
The meeting observed that it is being done to further divide the people so as to accomplish the agenda of “complete disempowerment” of the people of J&K and cautioned people not to fall prey & give in to such plans. “People should collectively rise in unison to defeat such plans”, the meeting observed.
The meeting further asserted that all the regions of J&K, apart from being robbed of their Constitutional & democratic rights are slowly witnessing the catastrophic ramifications of the BJP- RSS plans in sectors like business, employment, right to natural resources etc. Initially, some people had fallen to the false narrative of “empowered Jammu” as a lam justification for all that the Government of India has been doing since August 5, 2019 but it is evident and accepted now that Jammu region is also paying a heavy price for the misadventures and nefarious acts of the BJP Government, the meeting observed.
As a whole, the “abject failure” of the BJP Government has given J&K the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the country, it said.
The PAC resolved that the party would redouble its efforts to fight the designs of dividing and disempowering the people of Jammu & Kashmir and would give voice to the concerns and aspirations of all the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Earlier, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was put under house arrest to prevent her from visiting Anantnag to meet the family of a youth who was killed in cross-firing between security forces and militants last week.
Police locked the main gate of Mehbooba’s house and didn’t allow her to come out.
Shahid Ahmad was killed in an exchange of fire between Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and militants in Shopian district on October 24, according to police.