Jammu Kashmir High Court Bar Association Saturday urged the Government of India and the local administration to shift Kashmiri prisoners lodged in various jails of India back to the Valley in view of the massive spike in Covid deaths and cases across the country.
In a statement issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the HCBA spokesman said that in an extraordinary meeting chaired by the Bar chairman Advocate Nazir Ahmed Ronga, serious concern was expressed on the health conditions of the hundreds of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in different jails in India who were already in outside jails post 5 August 2019.
“It was urged upon the Government of India and the and J&K UT administration to shift Kashmiri prisoners from outside jails to the nearest jails in Kashmir in view of the disastrous wave throughout India which is consuming thousands of lives per day,” the statement said.
It said that the family members of these prisoners are seriously concerned about the health and lives of their loved ones.
“In Tihar Jail, New Delhi, Kashmiri prisoner Shahidul Islam is Covid infected. Brain tumor patient Bashir Ahmad Bhat is very sick in prison. Health condition of other prisoners that include Muhammad Yaseen Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Khan, Asiya Andrabi, Nahida Nasreen, Ayaz Akbar, Parvaiz Mir and Feroz Ahmad Bhat is deteriorating fast,” the statement said.
The statement said that the Bar Association expressed deep concern about the physical conditions of the Kashmiri prisoners lodged in outside jails and demanded immediate shifting of these prisoners to the nearest jails in Kashmir.
“Bar Association also demanded the cases of these prisoners /detenues be reviewed for release on parole and in view of the grave pandemic situation. In the meeting it was decided to appeal the Government of India and UT administration for review of the cases for release on parole and shifting of these prisoners to the nearest jails in Kashmir,” the statement said—(KNO)