Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference led by incarcerated Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed grave concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, it said that extreme laws are being introduced to further curb people’s freedom and intimidate them into silence through fear of retribution. “Sudden dismissals of government employees without any investigation or being given a chance to be heard is part of this policy as six more government employees have been sacked by the ruling dispensation,” it said.
“As per newspaper reports lists have been prepared to dismiss hundreds of Kashmiri employees in this most foul manner to exacerbate the atmosphere of intimidation and fear in the valley. Under these bizarrely inhuman rules, employees can even be dismissed from service if they or their family members are found to be “sympathetic” to people accused under the (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA). Even while applying for a passport, J&K government employees have to get vigilance clearance. This is not the case elsewhere,” the amalgam said.
The Hurriyat said that as a large segment of population is working in the government sector these laws are meant to silence them into submission, curb their freedom of expression and speech and quell any kind of dissent. “APHC said it strongly denounces this dictatorial approach to deal with people’s aspirations as it only creates more dissent and anger,” it added.
“Local media persons and media houses are also continuously being targeted and harassed through raids on their homes and offices and confiscation of their equipment while many among them are not even spared arrests. Continued raids by government agencies on organisations and homes of people and slapping PSA and other harsh laws on them, picking up of youth, their arbitrary arrests constant surveillance of people continues unabated across J&K as a state policy, as the number of Kashmiris in jails and detention centre’s further swells,” it said and added that Mirwaiz himself has been placed under house detention for the past 26 months now.
It said the situation in J&K is simmering and the people especially the youth feel suffocated and it can have serious consequences.
“No problem or issue can be solved by force and repression. The longstanding non-resolution of the political and humanitarian issue of Jammu and Kashmir is only creating more complications in the region and should be resolved as soon as possible. The ruling dispensation should stop pursuing the policy of intimidation and retribution against the people of J&K by withdrawing these harsh laws and restore people’s freedoms and liberties,” the Hurriyat said.

KR Desk