Hurriyat observes shutdown in Kashmir

The state government has already shifted various detainees to various jails of India.

Some of them include Mohammad Ayub Mir from Sadrabal, Hazratbal, Feroz Ahmed Bhat from South Kashmir's Tral town and Mohammad Ayub Dar from Rawal Pora Srinagar.

The political prisoners like Shabir Ahmed Bukhari from North Kashmir's Pattan area, Shakeel Ahmed Sofi and Noor Mohammad Tantray were not shifted due to the stay orders of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Chairman of Human Rights Forum and International Forum for Justice, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, who himself was lodged in various jails of India from time to time told IBNS that the state government is doing injustice with these detainees and this act signifies that government has many tools at their disposal through which it can harass the inmates.

"There are dozens and hundreds of political prisoners who are languishing in jails and some have even completed their term but still the government is reluctant to release them." Untoo said.

Nazir Ahmed Baba from Rainawari Srinagar said his brother Bashir Ahmed is languishing in one of the jails in Vadodra in Gujarat from last three years and due to long distance they are not able to meet him.

"My brother Bashir Ahmed Baba was picked up by the Anti Terrorist Squad of Gujarat on mere suspicion and since then he is lying in Vodadra jail. He is innocent. His only guilt is that he is a Kashmiri. We have made several pleas to the state government to shift him to Jammu and Kashmir but all in vain." Nazir said.

He said that he had approached the chairman of Kashmir Committee, Ram Jeth Malani when he was in Valley and he had assured him that he will talk to Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi.

"I don't think any body is going to listen from him, It´s so sad. My mother is dying to have a glimpse of his son whose condition in Gujarat jail is miserable." Nazir said.

Meanwhile shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic on roads remained disrupted to a large extent. At some places private vehicles were seen plying.

Similar reports were received from other district headquarters and townships as well.

Educational institutions and private offices too remained closed. The attendance in government offices and banks remained affected in wake of the strike call.

Work in the local courts was adversely affected as the bar association called on its members not to attend the courts to express solidarity with those languishing in the jails despite their release orders by the courts.

Reports received here from other district headquarters of Badgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara and Anantnag indicated that the shutdown evoked partial response at these places.

All educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, are presently closed because of the winter vacations here. Police and paramilitary central reserve police force were deployed in strength to ensure law and order in the city.

"The situation is under control. We haven´t received any reports of untoward incident from anywhere," a police official told IBNS in Srinagar.

(Reporting by Neyaz Elahi)