Ex- militants’ Pakistani wives stage protest, demands citizenship rights
‘Give us travel documents or deport us to Pakistan’
Srinagar: Pakistani wives of former Kashmiri militants, who had returned to the Valley under government’s rehabilitation policy in 2010, Tuesday hit streets here asking government to either provide them Indian citizenship rights or deport them to Pakistan.
Holding placards in their hands, which read “we want justice, provide us travel documents”, these women assembled at Press Enclave here this afternoon and staged a protest demanding citizenship rights.
They alleged that the government has been “insensitive” with regards to issuance of travel documents to the wives of former militants who had arrived in Kashmir before or after 2010.
“Our appeal to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan is to address our issues sensibly. We are living a miserable life here, and our childrens’ future seems bleak as we are not being considered as citizens of India,” said one of the protesters.
She said that dozens of Pakistani women who had arrived in Kashmir along with their former militant husbands through India-Nepal border under the government’s rehabilitation policy in 2010 are treated as “second-class citizens”.
The protesting women appealed the UT administration to either provide them travel documents or push them back to Pakistan.
“How long are we supposed to be like this? Our husbands who had crossed over the LoC for arms training in 1990, and returned along with their families after Omar Abdullah-led government assured them that they will be treated at par with other citizens of J&K. Our spouses reposed their faith on government but it seems they made a big mistake,” another protestor added.
Another woman, who identified herself as Misbah, said they are not even being allowed to participate in the last rites of their family members and relatives in Pakistan.
“We are the most unfortunate women in the world who could not participate in last rites of their family members and relatives in Pakistan. We appeal to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan to have pity upon his sisters (these women) who lives like orphans in Kashmir since their arrival here,” she added.
DIPR, J&K TWEETS…
A group of women form POK residing in J&K met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha today to apprise him about the issues faced by them. The Lt Governor heard them patiently and assured them of appropriate redressal of their issues.@manojsinha_ pic.twitter.com/1wqwDT4kFT
— Information & PR, J&K (@diprjk) September 1, 2020
