Srinagar, July 10, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the High Court has reserved its judgment on a fresh contempt petition against shifting of Hurriyat leader, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, from Srinagar central jail to Udhampur Jail in Jammu.
Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, who is also the President of High Court Bar Association, representing Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, approached the court with a fresh contempt petition against the occupation authorities by arguing that the petitioner had been shifted to Udhampur Jail in contempt to the High Court, which in 2003 had directed the authorities to lodge the petitioner in Srinagar central jail.
He further argued for the shifting of the petitioner back to Srinagar forthwith and action to be initiated against the erring officials for violating the court orders. He also stated before the court that as per the jail manual, a life convict is to be lodged in a central prison. After hearing the counsel, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur reserved the judgment.
Meanwhile, Mian Abdul Qayoom also sought the constitution of a high-level committee to find out the actual number of pellet victims in occupied Kashmir as the official figure is not correct. The court was hearing a petition filed by the High Court Bar Association regarding pellet victims.
Mian Qayoom submitted before the court that since 2010 – when pellet shotguns were introduced in Kashmir – the number of people injured till date was not known. He pointed out that as per Medical College Bemina, 164 pellet victims were received there and 25 among them had injury in one eye and three patients had injuries to both eyes. As per Director Health Services, Kashmir, 6,221 patients were received in which five patients of pellet injuries died. Also as per Principal Government Medical College, 1198 pellet cases were received.
“If these figures are taken into account then why those patients have not been included who have gone outside for treatment or within the private hospitals. From the figures of few hospitals we cannot conclude that this number of persons were injured by pellet shotguns,” Mian Qayoom said.
He said as per the data collected by HCBA, 98 people were killed from July 8 to December 2016, 565 people lost eyesight in one eye and 65 people lost eyesight in both eyes. Around 16,000 people were injured and 12,000 were arrested and put behind bars.
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