Unfortunate & avoidable demise of jailed Kashmiri leader Altaf Ahmed Shah is really shocking: PIPFPD

NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (SABAH): Pakistan India People’s’ Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD) has said that the unfortunate and avoidable demise of jailed Kashmiri leader Altaf Ahmed Shah is really shocking, sad and speaks volumes about the continued insensitivity of the Indian Govt towards political prisoners.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Pakistan India People’s’ Forum for Peace & Democracy said that despite a SC order to get him shifted from RML to AIIMS for renal cancer treatment, the Indian Government delayed this and killed the possibility of any effective treatment that could have been provided to the esteemed leader from Jammu and Kashmir. This is despite the family reaching out to the Prime Minister of India and other authorities for a humane response to his medical emergency.

PIPFPD said that this goes on to prove that government of India believes that it can get away with political murders in this heinous fashion where not only the family and immediate society, but rule of law itself is made helpless in coming to the aid of political prisoners.

The BJP government believes in making death a ‘fate accompli’ is evident from this. The demise of Altaf Shah is another body blow to any possible peace process regarding the Kashmir conflict. This extra-legal murder should be condemned by Indian society and all international institutions. After the political murder of Fr. Stan Swamy in custody, that of Altaf Shah, exposes the animosity with which government of India is dealing with the framework of human rights, in Indian jails.

The statement said that the PIPFPD joins the family of departed leader Altaf Shah and the people of Jammu and Kashmir in condemning the culpable negligence and indifference of Government of India that led to the death of Altaf Ahmed Shah. We demand that those responsible for his death be made accountable.

“We demand immediate release of all political prisoners, especially those suffering from ailments and chronic diseases. The barbarism as reflected in the killings of political prisoners must not be allowed to become a norm, tarnishing the constitution of India and rule of law” Pakistan India People’s’ Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD) concluded.