Srinagar, May 06 (Scoop News)- People Democratic Party President and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday wrote to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha seeking the release of innocent youth detained in the aftermath of the Phalagam terror attack.
Mehbooba Mufti in her letter highlighted the Kashmir’s overwhelming solidarity in the wake of the attack.
The letter reads that I write to you at a moment when the nation is grieving the tragic and cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam. This heinous act has been widely condemned across the country, more so by the people of Kashmir. n fact, we went a step further by observing a complete shutdown and hitting the streets in protest.
This spontaneous response marked a significant and heartening shift - for the first time, Kashmiris openly defied terrorism & stood united with the nation during this critical time. Even in the immediate aftermath of the attack, it was local Kashmiris who rushed to help the injured, transporting them to hospitals and donating blood not as a favor but as a heartfelt duty toward their fellow citizens.
However, the response from various security agencies that has followed appears less like a focused investigation and more like a sweeping and indiscriminate crackdown.
Over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been reported. Such numbers are alarming and don't reflect justice but rather a collective form of punishment. This approach not only risks alienating families and communities but also begs the question: where will all this lead usto?
While we are all unequivocally in favour of justice,the actions currently being undertaken amount to mass retribution.
No democratic and responsible society can or should accept such treatment of its own people.Ihave long maintained that the people of Kashmir have extended a handof goodwill. But
it is now for the rest of the nation to respond in kind. Itis deeply disheartening that the actions of a few terrorists are now determining how security agencies respond to the situation & go on a spree of arrests of innocent civilians.
With the Shri Amarnath Yatra approaching,Ihumbly request your urgent intervention to put an end to this policy of arrests, punitive measures and ensure release of innocents. Let the people of Kashmir breathe easy and prepare to welcome the Yatris with the warmth and hospitality they are well recognized for.
Hoping for a positive and compassionate response.
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