Mehbooba Mufti Urges End to Mass Kashmir Arrests After Pahalgam Attack

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appeals to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to release detained Kashmiris, arguing that the arrests following the Pahalgam attack are indiscriminate and amount to collective punishment. She stresses the need for justice and calls for hospitality towards incoming tourists.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has penned a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, pleading for the release of Kashmiris arrested after the Pahalgam terror attack. Mufti criticized the security forces' response as a "sweeping and indiscriminate crackdown" on local Kashmiris.

Highlighting the alarming figures, Mufti pointed out that over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been recorded since the attack. She decried this approach as "collective punishment" and questioned its implications, stating that it risks alienating entire communities. Mufti remarked that such actions do not equate to justice.

Reinforcing her commitment to justice, Mufti criticized the actions taken as "mass retribution." She urged democratic principles, lamenting the response to terrorism has led to widespread arrests of civilians. Mufti appealed for Sinha's urgent intervention to end the current practices and ensure the release of innocents, allowing Kashmir to uphold its reputation for hospitality.

(With inputs from agencies.)