“I am happy to be back amongst my family and friends. I am deeply touched by the love and solidarity expressed by so many friends from across the world. This 76 day detention was a difficult time for me, my family and colleagues,”
The Legitimate Desk
Srinagar: Kashmiri human rights activist, Khurram Parvez was formally released from police custody, today from the Joint Interrogation Centre, Jammu, at 12 noon. Khuram was released after he spent over 76 days in prison. The noted Human Rights activist was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) by the state authorities on September 16 at his Srinagar residence and was shifted to Kotbalwal jail. The act on him was quashed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on 25th November 2016.
Khuram today reached his home in a good health accompanied by his colleagues at Coalition of Civil Society and his family members.
While reaching home, Khuram expressed his gratitude towards all the people who demanded his release and stood by him during all these days. Hundreds of people in Kashmir and in other parts of country had stirred a campaign on social media website facebook and sought his immediate release.
The international Human Rights bodies also sought his release and termed his detention illegal.
He expresses his overwhelming gratitude to all those who stood by him during his imprisonment and sought the release.
“I am happy to be back amongst my family and friends. I am deeply touched by the love and solidarity expressed by so many friends from across the world. This 76 day detention was a difficult time for me, my family and colleagues,” he wrote on his facebook wall.
“Difficult times are also opportunities, if only we make them so. I commit myself to not let this detention be a hard memory of my life but an opportunity that has enabled me to reflect, read and plan my future work for justice and peace. I won’t let this difficulty make me bitter; instead my resolve for peace and justice has got strengthened. I want all of you to be hopeful. I am,” he adds.
Khurram’s post in few hours received more than 2500 likes, 500 congratulatory comments and 450 shares.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday had termed his detention illegal and ordered his immediate release. However, he was kept in jail for days after the ruling because of a ‘minor error’ in the issue date of PSA warrant on his name.
Khuram was arrested a day before he could fly to Geneva for a meeting of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHC).
“The struggle for the release of Khurram Parvez is a part of the larger struggle against unlawful detentions, state impunity and the use of repressive laws such as PSA in J&K,” reads the official statement of JKCCS.
“JKCCS reiterates its commitment to the struggle for truth, justice and the rights of all people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
