Mehbooba stages sit-in in Poonch, says ‘being stopped’ from meeting victim families

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti stages sit-in after police stop her from meeting families of 3 civilians allegedly tortured by Army.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on December 30 staged a sit-in on a roadside after the police stopped her from meeting the families of the three civilians, who allegedly died due to torture in custody of the Army after the December 21 militant attack in Dera Ki Gali area.

Ms. Mufti reached the Pir Panchal valley on December 30 to meet the families at Topa Pir village in Poonch’s Surankote area. However, in a series of videos posted by the PDP on social media, the road to the village was barricaded with barbed wires by the police.

“It seems the administration is trying to hide something. There could be no other reason to stop me. I was told even the women of Topa Pir village were harassed by the security forces and threatened to meet the same treatment as those men seen in the video,” Ms. Mufti said.

The former Chief Minister has decided to stage a sit-in on a roadside, around five km away from the victims’ village, “till the authorities allow her visit” to meet these families.

The administration’s move comes just a day after top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were allowed to meet these families. “We want to meet the families to tend to their wounds, inflicted by these brutal killings. We are not here to create any ruckus. National Conference leaders and BJP leader Ravinder Raina are allowed but not us. Why? We are told there is some threat. I think the biggest threat indeed is these people [who are stopping us],” Ms. Mufti said.

The J&K Police and the Poonch administration have neither denied nor confirmed the allegations made by Ms. Mufti.