ISLAMABAD In Indian occupied Kashmir, no night-long prayers were held on Shab-e-Meraj in any major mosques or shrines in Kashmir due to intensified clampdown imposed by Indian authorities in the name of Coronavirus threat. According to Kashmir Media Service, Shab-e-Meraj is observed on 27th of Rajab of Islamic lunar calendar every year. Every year, the biggest congregational on this occasion was traditionally witnessed at revered Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar where thousands of devotees would assemble. However, no such observation was held at the shrine, this year. The authorities had forced the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Wakf Board on Saturday to announce suspension of celebrations and congregational prayers on Shab-e-Meraj. Secretary Wakf Board, Showkat Beigh said no celebrations or nightlong prayers were held at shrines and mosques affiliated with the Wakaf Board. The National Conference (NC) leader, Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi in Indian Occupied Kashmir has said that, on one hand, Indian government is taking all possible steps to combat the COVID-19 challenge and, on the other, its insensitivity to the plight of detainees under draconian Public Safety Act is deplorable. According to Kashmir Media Service, Justice Hasnain Masoodi in a statement issued in Srinagar said that detainees from Jammu and Kashmir mostly in early twenties and some more than sixty years of age are lodged in Ambedkar Nagar, Lukhnow,Allahabad,Agra, Tihar and other jails of India, hundreds of miles away from their homes and their kith and kin. ‘The Corona or Covid 19 crisis adversely affects their basic human rights and rights as detenues. The detainees are held without charge or trial but on a mere suspicion, in most of the cases unfounded and are not denuded of all their at the prison gate,’ Justice Hasnain said. ‘There are authoritative judicial pronouncements commanding the government to lodge the detenue in a jail nearest to the ordinary place of residence so that the relations visit a detenue after regular intervals and a detenue is not exposed to mental trauma because of absence of social interaction. In case of detenues from Jammu and Kashmir the direction is violated with impunity,’ he said. ‘The Corona crisis has further compounded the plight of detentes as because of restrictions on traffic and travel, the relations would no more be in position to visit a detente and a valuable right violated. It is shocking that though the government has directed release of even convicts serving sentence, it is insensitive to plight of [Kashmiri] detentes held without charge on mere suspicion of endangering peace,’ he added.—APP
