Separatists call for shutdown over transfer of prisoners

: Authorities on Saturday night shifted Kashmir’s two prominent prisoners — Dr Qasim Faktoo and Shafi Shareati — from Srinagar central jail to Jammu jails triggering outrage among the separatist leaders who called for a shutdown on Wednesday.

While Faktoo has been shifted to Udhampur jail, Shareati was taken to Hira Nagar sub jail in Kathua, according to a statement issued jointly by three veteran separatist leaders of the Valley. Director general of police (DGP) SP Vaid confirmed the development.

Militant-turned-separatist Faktoo, who is the husband of leader Asiya Andrabi, has been in jail on murder charges for over 25 years and is one of few separatists in Kashmir to have spent so many years behind bar.

In prison, he completed his PhD in Islamic studies and has published many books besides helping many students complete their bachelor’s preparatory program, graduation and post-graduation.

Shareati, a former professor of Persian at Kashmir University, has been incarcerated for the past 15 years on various charges of involvement in militancy.

The two prisoners, along with some 40 militants and their sympathisers, have been shifted from Kashmir to various jails of Jammu after the dramatic escape of a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Naveed Jhatt from Srinagar’s SMHS hospital on February 6. Two policemen were killed in the incident.

Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said that the shifting of the two prisoners was in blatant violation of the double bench of high court.

“Both the prisoners are suffering from many ailments and shifting them is akin to playing with their lives,” the separatists said in the joint statement.

When asked about the court orders, DGP Vaid said they were shifted on the directions of state government. Separatists said that the state government was taking “revenge” on all prisoners just because an inmate escaped from their custody, that too because of the “callousness” of the rulers. “They have waged a war on political prisoners of the state,” the statement said.

Faktoo’s organisastion Muslim Deeni Mahaz also condemned his shifting and termed it as a “well-thought conspiracy to kill the ailing leader”.

DGP VAID SAYS QASIM FAKTOO AND SHAFI SHAREATI SHIFTED ON DIRECTIONS OF STATE GOVERNMENT