Mehbooba Seeks Shifting of J&K Prisoners Home, Says Move Driven by Humanitarian Concern

Srinagar, Nov 5: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has clarified that her petition before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking the transfer of J&K prisoners from jails outside the Union Territory is driven purely by humanitarian concerns and the desire to ease the distress faced by their families.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said that since 2019, thousands of J&K residents have been detained and lodged in prisons across various states in India, far from their homes and families. “We have repeatedly written to the government for official figures, but no clarity has been provided. According to our estimates, more than 3,000 to 3,500 people from Jammu and Kashmir are currently imprisoned outside the Union Territory,” she said.

Highlighting the plight of these families, Mehbooba revealed that many have been forced to sell their assets to bear legal expenses, while others struggle even to visit their relatives due to financial constraints. “These families are in distress. Many cannot even afford to travel outside J&K to meet their loved ones. Some see their relatives for only a few seconds during virtual court appearances,” she added.

On Monday, Mehbooba appeared personally before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, urging it to take a compassionate view of the matter. In her Public Interest Litigation (PIL), she requested that all undertrial prisoners from J&K who are currently lodged in jails outside the UT be shifted back to local prisons, unless authorities can provide strong written justification for their continued detention elsewhere.

“These are not convicted criminals. Most of them are undertrials, waiting endlessly for justice,” she said, noting that repeated postponements of court hearings have left both prisoners and their families in despair. “We are not demanding their release, only that they be brought closer to home where they can access legal assistance and where their families can see them,” she emphasized.

Mehbooba also disclosed that she had written multiple letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the J&K Director General of Police, and the Chief Secretary, requesting details about the number of J&K prisoners lodged in outside jails. “I even urged Omar Abdullah to lead a joint all-party delegation to visit these jails and assess the condition of the prisoners. Unfortunately, no action was taken,” she remarked.

She added that while the health conditions of prominent detainees like Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders sometimes reach the public domain, there is little or no information about hundreds of lesser-known prisoners from poor families who suffer silently. “Their mothers and children wait for years without knowing when or if they will return,” Mehbooba said.

The PDP chief also reacted sharply to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s reported statement that he could not comment on the matter since it was sub-judice. “Was statehood not sub-judice when he repeatedly spoke about it in meetings with the prime minister and home minister? Why does he remain silent when it comes to the pain of these prisoners and their families?” she asked.

Recalling her time in the legislative assembly, Mehbooba said that a resolution had once been proposed to shift J&K prisoners back from outside jails, but it was not allowed for discussion. “The NC government blocked even that humanitarian move,” she alleged.

Defending her decision to approach the court, Mehbooba said, “The families of these prisoners are too poor and powerless to seek justice themselves. The court is their last hope. My appeal is not political; it is purely humanitarian. The prisoners, if not released, should at least be shifted to Jammu and Kashmir to allow easier access to their families and legal support.”

She concluded by saying that her initiative aims to restore dignity and compassion to a system that often forgets the human cost of prolonged detentions. “It is not about politics. It is about empathy, justice, and easing suffering. If even that offends someone, then it says more about them than about me,” she remarked.