Parents of Disappeared demand information in H-Kashmir
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR: Parents and next of kins of the forcibly disappeared persons in occupied Kashmir held their monthly protest here demanding information about their near and dear ones.

An elderly lady Gulshan Bano was displaying photographs of her son who had disappeared while under custody of Indian troops after his arrest from Batmaloo, Srinagar seven years ago. "Nobody can imagine the pain of the separation of a child. Let the government reveal it", she said.

Another grieved mother, Haja Bano narrating the woeful tale of her son told newsmen "My son (Bashir Ahmad Sofi) was arrested in 1994 few days before his 15th birthday. A carpet weaver, he was arrested during a crackdown by the Indian forces. Our diminishing hopes rekindled when (Panthers Party chief) Bhim Singh recently disclosed that about 4,000 disappeared are alive in some jail in Jammu. If he knows then why does not he come forward and unfold the mystery", said Haja, a resident of Bandipora.

Pervez Imroz, patron Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) which fights for the families of the disappeared, said "The recent statement of Bhim Singh…that 4,000 persons who have been subjected to custodial disappearance are in a jail in Jammu and rest have been killed, contradicts the stand of the Government that the disappeared persons have crossed over to other side of LoC".

"Bhim Singh is not a child neither is he in the opposition. In fact, he is the part and parcel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led coalition and whatever he says cannot be neglected. It is a serious matter. The association has filed a writ petition in the High Court to seek further information from Bhim Singh and SP Reasi", Imroz told reporters.●