rki.news

Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR ( AJK): August 25: In Indian Illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir state, aformer puppet Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday led a protest march in occupied Srinagar demanding the return of IIOJ&K prisoners lodged in various jails in India, says a report reaching here Monday night from across the line of control.

The protest, attended by hundreds of the PDP workers and supporters, aimed to draw attention to what the party described as systemic injustices faced by Kashmiri detainees languishing in various Indian jails and the urgent need for prison and judicial reforms.

According to PDP leaders, the protest was not just about relocation but about restoring dignity, fairness, and legal safeguards for all Kashmiri prisoners detained in most of the false cases, lying behind the bars and detention centers i. different parts of India, according to the report.

The party reiterated that prisoners from the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir state,l should be lodged in local jails of the IIOJK to ensure they have proper access to legal defence and their families.

The long distance from home, PDP leaders argued, severely impacts the kashmiri prisoners’ right to a fair trial and emotional well-being due to limited family contact according to the report.

The PDP further 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 of the Kashmiri detenus undermines the principle of liberty.

They also called for the mandatory production of accused individuals at every court hearing, stating that this was 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 often ignored in practice. They emphasized 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 report said.

PDP leaders also pointed to the lack of transparency in the application of remission policies in life imprisonment cases, calling for clear and fair processes without bias or political interference, the report said

The party, the report further said, highlighted that parole and furlough should be treated as legal rights — essential tools for rehabilitation and reintegration — rather than favours granted at the discretion of prison authorities.

Additionally, the PDP described the denial of medical bail as inhumane and urged that it be granted based on humanitarian grounds without undue delay. They also pressed for the full and consistent implementation of jail manuals to protect the Kashmiri prisoners’ rights and ensure humane treatment in accordance with the law, the report added.