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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday wrote a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha seeking the release of Kashmiris detained by the security forces in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Mentioning local Kashmiris' efforts to safeguard citizens following the Pahalgam attack, Mehbooba Mufti called the security agencies' actions a "sweeping and indiscriminate crackdown" on locals. Mufti said that over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been reported since the Pahalgam attack. She added that such numbers reflect a "collective form of punishment." "The response from various security agencies that have followed (After the Pahalgam terror attack) appears less like a focused investigation and more like a sweeping and indiscriminate crackdown. Over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been reported. Such numbers are alarming and don't reflect justice but rather a collective form of punishment. This approach not only risks alienating families and communities but also begs the question: where will all this lead us?" Mehbooba Mufti wrote to LG Manoj Sinha. Extending complete support in favour of Justice, Mehbooba Mufti said that the current actions "amount to mass retribution." "While we are all unequivocally in favour of justice, the actions currently being undertaken amount to mass retribution. No democratic and responsible society can or should accept such treatment of its own people. I have long maintained that the people of Kashmir have extended a hand of goodwill. But it is now for the rest of the nation to respond in kind. It is deeply disheartening that the actions of a few terrorists are now determining how security agencies respond to the situation and go on a spree of arrests of innocent civilians," she said. Mufti requested Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure the release of innocent Kashmiris. "I humbly request your urgent intervention to put an end to this policy of arrests, punitive measures and ensure the release of innocents. Let the people of Kashmir breathe easy and prepare to welcome the Yatris with the warmth and hospitality they are well recognised for." She said. The attack in Pahalgam occurred on April 22 at Baisaran meadow, where terrorists targeted tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen, and leaving several others injured. Following the Pahalgam attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)
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