SRINAGAR: A group of Pakistani spouses of former militants who came to Kashmir under the rehabilitation policy on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for travel documents to return home.
The women gathered at Press Enclave holding banners that read “Hum Pakistani hai, hamain wapas bejh do” (We are Pakistani, send us back home).
They claimed that they have not been provided the permanent resident certificates as promised.
In 2010, NC vice-president and then chief minister Omar Abdullah had announced a rehabilitation policy for the youths of Jammu and Kashmir who had gone across the LoC for arms training but had renounced militancy and wanted to return home.
“We were invited here. We did not intrude. The government is not providing us travel documents or any kind of other documents,” said Asia Hassan, adding that they were feeling caged here.
On the contrary, she said, FIRs were registered against them. “We are treated like criminals. Many among us have been widowed during the course of time and they have no one to look after them,” said another protestor.