ibn sultan
Srinagar, August 25: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti, led a protest march in Srinagar on Monday, demanding the return of J&K prisoners lodged in jails outside the Union Territory.
The protest, attended by PDP workers and supporters, aimed to draw attention to what the party described as systemic injustices faced by Kashmiri detainees and the urgent need for prison and judicial reforms.
According to PDP leaders, the protest was not just about relocation but about restoring dignity, fairness, and legal safeguards for all prisoners.
The party reiterated that prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir should be lodged in local jails to ensure they have proper access to legal defence and their families.
The distance from home, PDP leaders argued, severely impacts the prisoners’ right to a fair trial and emotional well-being due to limited family contact.
The PDP further demanded that all trials be conducted in a timely and efficient manner. The leadership stressed that justice delayed is justice denied, and prolonged pre-trial detention undermines the principle of liberty.
They also called for the mandatory production of accused individuals at every court hearing, stating that this is fundamental to maintaining transparency and accountability in legal proceedings.
One of the central points raised by the PDP was the need to uphold the principle of “bail, not jail,” which is enshrined in constitutional law but often ignored in practice. They emphasized that denial of bail, especially in cases where trials are delayed or evidence is limited, results in avoidable suffering and violates basic legal rights.
PDP leaders also pointed to the lack of transparency in the application of remission policies in life imprisonment cases, calling for clear and fair processes without bias or political interference.
The party highlighted that parole and furlough should be treated as legal rights — essential tools for rehabilitation and reintegration — rather than favours granted at the discretion of prison authorities.
Additionally, the PDP described the denial of medical bail as inhumane and urged that it be granted based on humanitarian grounds without undue delay. They also pressed for the full and consistent implementation of jail manuals to protect prisoners’ rights and ensure humane treatment in accordance with the law.(KNS)
