MLA Khurshid urges Centre, CM Omar Abdullah to ensure safety of Kashmiri prisoners
MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh on Friday alleged that his brother, incarcerated MP from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, was attacked inside Tihar Jail, prompting fresh concerns over the safety of Kashmiri prisoners.
Khurshid told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that Rashid’s legal counsel had informed the family about the attack. “Several Kashmiri prisoners have also been targeted. If an MP can be attacked, what will be the condition of others?” he asked, while urging the Centre and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and ensure security of Kashmiri inmates.
He reminded that before elections, Omar Abdullah had promised a roadmap for Kashmiri prisoners but “nothing has been done so far.” He appealed that basic rights of Kashmiri inmates, including religious practices, must be safeguarded.
In a statement, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) expressed outrage, citing disclosures made by Rashid during a recent meeting with his counsel, Advocate Javeed Hubbi. According to Hubbi, Rashid said that Tihar authorities had “devised new methods to harass Kashmiri inmates by deliberately lodging male eunuchs with them, encouraging them to provoke, attack, and create a hostile environment.”
Hubbi revealed that Rashid narrowly escaped serious injury when a group of inmates pushed a gate on him, calling it “a deliberate attempt to physically harm him.” The party further alleged that Kashmiri inmates including Ayoub Pathan of Beerwah, Bilal Mir of Qamarwari, Amir Gojri of Srinagar, and Arshid Tanch of Kupwara were also attacked or humiliated. (KINS) Shoaib Pathan
