All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, condemned the fresh arrest spree in Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday, and the continued detentions of others, calling it “unjustified, undemocratic and vengeful” and “a matter of serious concern for the human rights organisations”.
In a statement, the APHC said: “It is extremely unfortunate that on one hand, the basic human rights are continuously being trampled through military might in Jammu and Kashmir, and on the other side, hundreds of youth, respectable citizens, political leaders and activists who were arrested on the the eve of August 5, 2019, continue to languish in jails.”
The statement also condemned the rearrest of Sarjan Barkati, who was released after four years in October 2020. The religious preacher was detained by police on Thursday evening from his residence in Reban, Shopain. However, the officer did not reveal the reasons behind the police action.
Expressing concern over the “one-and-a-half years house detention of its Chairman Mirwaiz Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq and continuous arrest of several other political leaders which include Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Ahmad, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi, Nahida Nasreen, and others,” the APHC said, “Silencing the people’s voices by such policies of repression is unacceptable.”
“The world community, justice-loving people and the international human rights organisations must raise voice against the aggression and human rights violation taking place in Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement added.
