PDP leaders protest at Srinagar, demand release of Kashmiris jailed in and outside UT, Politicians

Srinagar: Several PDP leaders and supporters were on Thursday detained after they tried to take out a protest march in Srinagar against the detention of Kashmiris, including politicians.

According to PTI report, PDP leaders and supporters assembled at the party office near the Sher-e-Kashmir Park in Srinagar and tried to take out the march. The protesters raised slogans demanding the release of Kashmiris jailed in and outside the Union Territory and political prisoners, including PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

They tried to march towards the city centre, Lal Chowk. However police stopped them and took some of the protesters into custody.

The police stopped a peaceful protest against the detention of political prisoners, the “harassment” of youngsters, the “gag” on media and “gross human rights violations,” the party said.

The party said on its official Twitter handle wrote, “Police stops peaceful protest of @jkpdp leaders against the detention of political prisoners, the harassment of youth, the gag on media & rights violations. Police has now detained PDP leaders Rouf Bhat, Hamid Qousheen, Shanti Singh, Arif Laigroo & Mohd Amin.”

Meanwhile, Iltija Mufti daughter of Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter over the police action on PDP leaders and supporters and said “enforced normalcy through institutionalised repression” stood exposed. Adding “PDP’s Hamid Kohsheen, Rauf Bhat, Arif, @HarbakshDr, Mushtaq & Omar protesting against illegal detention of Kashmiris in & outside J&K have been arrested in Srinagar. Enforced normalcy through institutionalised repression stands exposed. Peaceful protest is also sedition.”