ISLAMABAD: The forum led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed serious concern over the plight of Kashmiri political prisoners lodged in different jails in and outside the territory.

According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), a spokesman of the forum in a statement issued in Srinagar said, “Kashmiri political prisoners are deprived of the basic facilities including proper medical aid and other facilities as provided in jail manual.”

“Majority of the detainees are facing severe ailments. To prolong the detention of these Kashmiri prisoners, the authorities deliberately don’t produce them before the courts on time for trial and most of the time the family members are not even allowed to meet them,” the spokesman added.

He said, “Pathetic plight of Kashmiri political prisoners lodged at Tihar, Katua, Udhampur, Kot Balwal, Rajasthan and other jails should serve as an eye opener for the human rights organizations to see how they are being subjected to political vendetta.”

“Not only the political prisoners, but their families, too, are going through a continuous trauma. The prolonged illegal detention of Hurriyat leader and media advisor advocate Shahid-ul-Islam has given rise to serious concerns about his health as he is already suffering from various ailments,” the spokesman said, adding that “The political vendetta is posing a great threat to his life.”

Meanwhile, to inquire about the health of Shahid-ul-Islam’s wife, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Bilal Ghani Lone visited the family and prayed for her early recovery.

A delegation led by Sufi Mushtaq Ahmad visited SKIMS, Soura, and took appraisal of the health status of several injured persons, wounded in recent forces firing.