Ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti leads protest in Srinagar demanding return of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside UT

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday led a peaceful protest in Srinagar demanding the return of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the UT.

Mehbooba Mufti raised slogans of “Bail, not Jail”, accusing the government of denying basic constitutional rights to detainees from the region, many of whom, according to her, have spent years in prison without fair or timely trials.

The protest was attended by PDP workers and supporters. Party spokesperson said the protest was aimed to draw attention to what the party described as systemic injustices faced by Kashmiri detainees and the urgent need for prison and judicial reforms.

“The protest was not just about relocation, but about restoring dignity, fairness, and legal safeguards for all prisoners.

“The party reiterated that prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir should be lodged in local jails to ensure they have proper access to legal defence and their families.

“The distance from home severely impacts the prisoners’ right to a fair trial and emotional well-being due to limited family contact.

“The party demanded that all trials be conducted in a timely and efficient manner.

“The leadership stressed that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’, and prolonged pre-trial detention undermines the principle of liberty.

“The leaders also called for the mandatory production of accused individuals at every court hearing stating that this is fundamental to maintaining transparency and accountability in legal proceedings.

“One of the central points raised by the PDP was the need to uphold the principle of “bail, not jail,” which is enshrined in constitutional law but is often ignored in practice.

“They emphasised that denial of bail, especially in cases where trials are delayed or evidence is limited, results in avoidable suffering and violates basic legal rights”, the spokesperson said.

Mehbooba Mufti also demanded transparency in the grant of remission in life-term cases, and stressed that parole and furlough should be treated as legal rights rather than privileges and argued that medical bail must be recognised as a humanitarian necessity.

Calling for the full implementation of jail manuals, she insisted that the dignity and rights of prisoners must be upheld without discrimination. The PDP chief warned that denying prisoners their rights only deepens alienation and mistrust.

The march ended peacefully with party leaders vowing to continue their campaign until the government addresses the plight of Kashmiri prisoners and brings them closer to their families.

IANS