SRINAGAR — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday appealed to the Centre to show compassion and release ailing separatist leaders on humanitarian grounds.
In a statement here, Mirwaiz expressed concern over the critical health condition of Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Mirwaiz said Shah’s wife had conveyed to him that their daughter visited her father in jail after a month, and “reported that he seems to be dying a silent death due to his fast deteriorating health and multiple complications with no recourse to urgent care or hospitalisation.”
He said the family urged the authorities to at least shift Shah to his home and convert the residence into a jail so that the family can take care of him and provide him the urgent medical attention.
“This has alarmed me and I once again fervently appeal to the Central government to show compassion and on humanitarian grounds, release Shah or at least, as per the family’s request, put him under arrest at home where at least he will be taken care of,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz said the family of JKLF chairman Malik had also conveyed that “prolonged incarceration and confinement have taken a huge toll on his physical and mental health and he is also in need of urgent medical care.”
He urged the authorities to provide medical assistance to Malik.
Mirwaiz said it is “deeply distressing to hear of the pain and suffering that these and other leaders are enduring in detention.”
“Reports about the worsening health and harsh conditions of other Kashmiri political detainees and youth lodged in various jails within and outside Jammu and Kashmir are equally worrying,” he added.
Mirwaiz said this is a matter of human concern and compassion which is above political considerations and ideologies, and urged the government that immediate and adequate medical care be provided to all detainees suffering from health issues.
He also appealed to the authorities and judiciary to consider their condition on humanitarian grounds and their rights as prisoners.
Mirwaiz also urged the elected representatives of J&K Assembly, especially the ruling party, to unite on the issue and play their role in securing the release and relief for the Kashmiri prisoners. — (PTI)