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Mehbooba barred from meeting kin of civilians killed in Hyderpora
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had also informed the police about her visit to the families of civilians killed in Hyderpora
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti wasn’t allowed to meet the family members of two civilians who were killed during Hyderpora encounter.
The PDP said that Mehbooba was scheduled to visit the families of Mudasir Gul and Altaf Ahmad Bhat in Srinagar. The former chief minister had also informed the police about her visit. However in the morning, PDP leaders said she wasn’t allowed to leave her house.
“Mehbooba was supposed to meet the families but wasn’t allowed,” PDP spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said in a tweet. He also denied any plans to organise protest towards the houses of civilians.
On Sunday, Mehbooba had held a protest outside Raj Bhawan, demanding a judicial probe into Hyderpora killings, return of the body of Jammu resident Amir Magray and an apology from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to the families of slain civilians.
Amnesty International condemns arrest of human rights activist
Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the arrest of human rights activist Khurram Parvez by NIA and said that anti-terror laws were being “misused to criminalise human rights work”.
“The arrest of Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez is yet another example of how anti-terror laws are being misused to criminalise human rights work & stifle dissent in India. Instead of targeting HRDs, authorities should focus on bringing accountability for human rights violations,” tweeted Amnesty International from its official handle.
Parvez’s arrest disturbing: UN
Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, called Parvez’s arrest “disturbing”.
“He’s not a terrorist, he’s a human rights defender,” she said in a tweet.
Parvez, one of Kashmir’s best known activists, is head of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a group of rights organisations working in the region.
He is being held under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, that allows for detention of up to six months without trial.
(With inputs from Reuters)
