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Mehbooba leads march in Srinagar, demands return of Kashmiri prisonersBreaking

August 25, 2025

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today led a protest march in Srinagar, demanding the return of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.According to Kashmir Media Service, scores of PDP leaders, workers, and supporters participated in the rally, raising slogans of “Bail, not Jail” and calling for an end to the inhuman practice of shifting Kashmiri detainees to far-off prisons across India. 

Mehbooba Mufti said that denying prisoners access to their families and legal defence was a violation of basic human rights and an assault on justice. She stressed that prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir must be kept in local jails so that their trials are fair and families are not forced to suffer due to long distances.Speakers at the protest highlighted that prolonged pre-trial detentions, denial of bail, and lack of transparency in remission policies amounted to systemic injustice.

They further said that denial of medical bail was inhumane and demanded its immediate provision on humanitarian grounds. The PDP leaders reiterated that parole and furlough should be treated as prisoners’ legal rights, not discretionary favours by jail authorities, and called for full implementation of jail manuals to ensure humane treatment. Meanwhile, the police attempted to arrest Mehbooba Mufti during the protest, but she continued to lead the demonstrators, warning that injustice against prisoners erodes public faith in democratic and judicial institutions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)