Reform the Criminal Justice System: Irtiqa Mufti Calls for Speedy Trials and Local Lodgement of Kashmiri Prisoners
Thousands of Kashmiri Youth Languishing in Outside Jails, Says PDP Leader
Irtiqa Mufti Slams Draconian Laws Like PSA, UAPA for Arbitrary Detentions
“Justice Delayed Has Become Punishment Itself,” Says Former CM’s Daughter
Witness Absence, Endless Postponements Haunting Court Proceedings: Mufti
Srinagar, Jun 2, KNT: Irtiqa Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has made a strong pitch for immediate reforms in India’s criminal justice system, particularly highlighting the plight of Kashmiri prisoners detained outside the Union Territory.
Speaking on the condition of undertrial and political prisoners, Irtiqa Mufti said that thousands of Kashmiri youth are languishing in prisons scattered across various Indian states, leaving their impoverished families helpless and unable to pursue legal recourse due to distance and financial constraints.
“These prisoners are being held under draconian laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), often without any proper trial. Some have been incarcerated in jails like Tihar for vague and arbitrary reasons,” she said.
She lamented that the judicial process itself has become a form of punishment, as courts keep adjourning hearings, witnesses fail to appear, and trials drag on indefinitely. “When the system delivers dates instead of decisions, justice is not just delayed—it is outright denied,” Irtiqa asserted.
Calling the current practice inhumane and unjust, she demanded the local lodgement of Kashmiri prisoners to enable their families to attend hearings and seek justice. “We need local prisons for local prisoners and timely, fair trials,” she emphasized, adding that the existing system is eroding public trust in the judiciary.
Irtiqa Mufti’s appeal comes at a time when civil society groups and human rights organizations are also voicing similar concerns about the arbitrary detention of Kashmiri youth and the abuse of preventive detention laws. Her remarks have added a fresh political voice to an ongoing humanitarian and legal issue that continues to draw criticism both within and outside Kashmir. [KNT]
