Srinagar, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, has voiced his dismay over the denial of fundamental rights to Kashmiri political prisoners, specifically the right to attend family funerals.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Shah, who is currently detained in New Delhi’s Tihar jail, released a statement expressing his condolences on the passing of the father-in-law of APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt. He criticized the Indian government for depriving Kashmiri political prisoners of their legal right to visit sick relatives and attend their funerals. Shah called on international human rights organizations to address the Indian government’s harsh treatment of Kashmiri detainees.

The death of Masarrat Aalam Butt’s father-in-law has brought attention to the broader issue of rights restrictions faced by political prisoners in Kashmir. In a separate but related incident, the father of APHC-AJK leader Nazir Karnai also passed away in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

At a prayer meeting held in Islamabad by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, condolences were extended to the family of Muhammad Maqbool Lone, Butt’s father-in-law. The meeting, led by Convener Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and offered prayers for the deceased. The participants also mourned the loss of the father of Hurriyat leader Nazir Karnai, the mother of Hurriyat activist Shahnawaz Malik, and the mother of Hurriyat activist Fayaz Ahmad.

These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges and human rights concerns in the region, particularly for those involved in the political struggle in Kashmir.