Mehbooba Mufti leads protest in Srinagar seeking return of Kashmiri prisoners from outside jails

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday led a peaceful protest in Srinagar demanding that Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the Union Territory be brought back.

Raising slogans of “Bail, not Jail,” Mufti accused the government of denying constitutional rights to detainees, many of whom she said had spent years in prison without fair or timely trials. PDP workers and supporters joined the protest, which the party described as an effort to highlight systemic injustices faced by Kashmiri prisoners and to push for urgent judicial and prison reforms.

A party spokesperson said the demand was not just about relocation but also about ensuring dignity, fairness and legal safeguards. The PDP reiterated that prisoners should be kept in local jails so they can access legal defense and remain in contact with their families. Leaders stressed that delayed trials undermine liberty and that “justice delayed is justice denied.”

The party also demanded that accused individuals be produced at every court hearing to uphold transparency, while calling for the principle of “bail, not jail” to be honored in cases of prolonged pre-trial detention or weak evidence.

Mufti further pressed for transparency in granting remission in life-term cases and argued that parole, furlough and medical bail should be treated as rights rather than privileges. She also called for the full implementation of jail manuals to protect the dignity of all prisoners without discrimination.

Warning that denial of basic rights only fuels alienation, the PDP chief vowed to continue the campaign until Kashmiri prisoners are brought closer to their families and given fair treatment. The march concluded peacefully.