Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and President National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the Chief Minister was morally bound to ensure the safety and welfare of Kashmiri prisoners lodged outside.

“Chief Minister was morally bound to ensure their safety and welfare and these prisoners should immediately be shifted to jails within the State,” the fire brand leader said while talking to reporters at his party office here.

“The Chief Minister should immediately visit Tihar Jail and ensure their safety and also initiate a process of shifting these prisoners back to jails within the State while the cases against them are processed. The rule of law is supreme and under the same rule of law every detainee has unquestionable and non-negotiable rights. These rights have to be upheld at all costs,” he added.

Condemning the incidents of assault on Kashmiri detainees at Tihar Jail, Farooq said that such incidents were reprehensible and unacceptable.

“The reports of such assaults are extremely condemnable and unacceptable. Irrespective of their political affiliations and ideologies or the nature of cases against them, the detainees have human rights that are detailed under the jail manuals and there should be strict adherence to these procedures and regulations and there should be no deviation,” the senior Abdullah said.

He also expressed serious concern over the safety of the detainees especially in view of an elaborate campaign by certain news channels and said all Kashmiri detainees should be immediately shifted to jails within the State.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah also sought that all juvenile detainees be treated strictly in adherence to juvenile justice laws and regulations

Farooq also said that he hopes that the Government of India’s special representative, Dineshwar Sharma, understands the problems that are prevalent here.

“I  hope that Sharma understands the issue and asks New Delhi to find a solution,” he said.

“We hope that he (Sharma) listens to the people and those who meet him talk about real issues. He will understand that a way has to be found out. And also he conveys to Delhi to find a solution (to the issue),” Abdullah said.

“Time has come for Government of India to find ways and means of talking to Pakistan and find a way forward, and find a solution which is acceptable to the people of Pakistan, India and people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said in reply to a question. However, the statement of the NC’s patron is contradictory to his earlier stand wherein he had said that he has “little expectations” from Sharma.

 On November 5, addressing a party gathering in Tangdhar in Kupwara district, Abdullah had said he does not have any expectations from Sharma and the only way forward in Kashmir is restoration of autonomy to the state.

 “I have very little expectations from this new interlocutor. Like it has been done before, he will come and meet people. In 2010, then UPA government appointed a group of interlocutors who visited the state and had detailed discussions with every section here. The process took more than two months and after they were done with meeting people, a report was compiled. What happened to that report? Did the government discuss that report in any forum including the Parliament?,” the former CM said.

 The NC leader said that India and Pakistan should sit and talk together to end terrorism.

He said that his statements are based on reality and are not irrational.

“For 70 years, PoK has been part of Pakistan, this has been part of India, four wars have been fought and in these four nothing has happened. They hold that territory and we hold this territory,” he said.

 He said that wars do not end conflicts but aggravate tragedies of the people.

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