The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has expressed strong anguish and condemnation over the Indian court’s decision to defer the bail hearing of its party president, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, terming it a deliberate tactic aimed at prolonging his detention.According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement issued in Srinagar, DFP spokesman Advocate Arshad Iqbal criticized the Indian judiciary, saying its decisions appear politically influenced rather than guided by principles of justice.

“Indian courts have a long history of using deferments, adjournments, and procedural delays to postpone final adjudication in cases involving Kashmiri prisoners,” he said, adding that this deliberate approach effectively prolongs the detention of the accused, particularly in matters involving pre-trial or preventive custody.

Advocate Iqbal noted that the hearing, originally scheduled for the second week of February, has now been postponed to February 25, with the bench granting additional time to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to present substantive evidence against Shah.“Instead of deciding on the long-pending plea, the bench has given more time to the NIA, which has yet to present any substantive evidence against Shah before the court,” he said. 

The DFP spokesman emphasized that Shabbir Shah has faced unproven charges since 1968, and even after eight years in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, no court has substantiated the allegations against him. “Shabbir Shah and other Hurriyat leaders are being punished solely for advocating a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and for voicing the concerns of the oppressed Kashmiri people,” he asserted. 

The DFP has urged international human rights organizations to take effective notice of the matter and play their much-needed role in securing the early release of Shabbir Ahmed Shah and other prisoners who, despite suffering from multiple and acute ailments, continue to languish in Indian jails.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)