SRINAGAR: Former J&K Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has written a letter to J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha seeking his urgent intervention to put an end to the policy of arrests and punitive measures after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“During my visit to Pahalgam yesterday, many residents expressed deep fear & anxiety about being arbitrarily detained by the police. In the aftermath of the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, the response has included a sweeping clampdown with thousands of civilians reportedly taken into custody,” Mehbooba posted on X.
After the April 22 terror attack on tourists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam in which 25 tourists and a J&K resident were killed, security agencies have launched a massive crackdown across the Valley to target militants, their Overground Workers and militant sympathisers.
“I have written to the Hon’ble @manojsinha_ ji urging him to urgently review this approach which appears to amount to collective punishment. Such measures risk deepening the trust deficit at a time when Kashmiris have taken meaningful steps to bridge that very gap (sic),” Mehbooba said.
In the letter, Mehbooba states that the Pahalgam terror attack has been widely condemned across the country, more so by the people of Kashmir. “In fact, we went a step further by observing a complete shutdown and hitting the streets in protest. This spontaneous response marked a significant and heartening shift - for the first time, Kashmiris openly defied terrorism & stood united with the nation during this critical time.”
“Even in the immediate aftermath of the attack, it was local Kashmiris who rushed to help the injured, transporting them to hospitals and donating blood not as a favour but as a heartfelt duty toward their fellow citizens,” she said.
The PDP chief stated that the actions taken by various security agencies seem less like a focused investigation and more like a broad and indiscriminate crackdown.
“Over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been reported. Such numbers are alarming and don't reflect justice but rather a collective form of punishment. This approach not only risks alienating families and communities but also begs the question: where will all this lead us to?,” she wrote.
Mehbooba said while “we are all unequivocally in favour of justice, the actions currently being undertaken amount to mass retribution.”
“No democratic and responsible society can or should accept such treatment of its people. I have long maintained that the people of Kashmir have extended a hand of goodwill. But it is now for the rest of the nation to respond in kind" she wrote.
She expressed disappointment that the actions of a few terrorists are now dictating the response of security agencies, leading to a spree of arrests targeting innocent civilians.
"With the Shri Amarnath Yatra approaching, I humbly request your urgent intervention to put an end to this policy of arrests, punitive measures and ensure the release of innocents. Let the people of Kashmir breathe easy and prepare to welcome the Yatris with the warmth and hospitality they are well recognised for,” further wrote Mehbooba.
