Release of Shabbir Shah

AN APPEAL TO THE WORLD CONSCIENCE

The world is aware of the lingering issue of Kashmir since more than half a century to be resolved according to the wishes of the indigenous population. Today we want to bring to the attention of the world political and peace loving community the story of a person who has spent half of his life in prison due to his political opinion, who would not agree to unjust demands of the authorities occupying his motherland, who would not support any use of unlawful means to achieve the right to decide the future of his country and last but not the least who is popular among all communities living in the State of Jammu Kashmir.

This person who is called Shabbir Ahmed Shah born 1n 1954 in a small town of Kashmir valley called Islamabad. While a student of secondary school he was first arrested in 1969 because of his political opinion. Since the period he has been in and out of the prison for twenty two years and seven months. During his imprisonments he has been tortured physically and emotionally by the Indian authorities. They have tried all means to break his political will but have failed bitterly.

To carry out their unlawful and terror instigating activities on their political opponents the Indian government has enforced many draconian laws that have been used from time to time to suppress the movement for right to self determination in Jammu Kashmir. Just to briefly some of them Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) provides wide powers to the occupying Indian forces in Jammu Kashmir and they can arrest torture and kill any person at their sweet will.

Another draconian law is the Jammu Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (JKPSA) amended in 1987 and 1990. In Jammu and Kashmir it empowers the state government to detain a person without trial for two years under the pretext of maintenance of public order. The provisions of the Act, though already unsatisfactory, have been consistently violated.
The JKPSA differs from the act operating in rest of the country. The amendments make it possible for extending the operation of the act beyond the State, enabling the State machinery to keep detainees in the jails of India, outside the State.

Shabbir Shah and many other political prisoners are victim of these special laws in two ways. One the occupational army has killed thousands and whose whereabouts are yet to be known; second they have been arresting and detaining the leadership using these acts.

Shabbir Shah whom the “Amnesty International declared prisoner of conscience” in 1992. He has been tortured throughout his political career since the age of fourteen now suffers from ill health. Doctors have diagnosed him with problems in the vertebral column; he suffers from kidney ailment and recently has developed diabetes. He has been advised regular blood tests and treatment which he is being denied as he has been once again imprisoned for two year under the PSA and sent to Udhampur jail in Jammu.

Shabbir is married with a wife and two daughters age 7 and 5years respectively. His family is also suffering immensely from his continuous detentions.

We are here to seek your support for the prisoner of conscience and request you to use your influence for release of Shabbir Shah so that he can be reunited with his family.

If you agree please sign the petition and forward it to all your contacts and forward a copy to myself.

Thank you