SRINAGAR: Pakistani spouses of ex-Kashmiri militants Tuesday staged a protest, demanding the government to issue travel documents or facilitate their return to Pakistan at earliest.
Many Kashmiris who had crossed to the other side of the border for arms training in early 90’s, returned in 2010 under governments rehabilitation policy for former militants.
Their spouses, however, continue protesting against the government’s alleged failure to fulfill its commitment vis-à-vis issuance of citizenship rights to them.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the slogan shouting Pakistani women, who had carried placards in their hands reading “do justice with us, give us citizenship rights” gathered at Press Colony and staged a protest demanding travel documents.
“We are living a nomadic life in Kashmir. We want the government to either issue travel documents to us or facilitate our return to Pakistan. We cannot see our children’s future ruining. We were deceived by the government,” said Misbah, a protesting lady.
The protesting wives of former Kashmiri militants, who had returned to the valley via Nepal border under government’s rehabilitation policy ten years ago, said the government should clear whether it is really serious to adopt its commitments on ground or its rehabilitation policy for ex-militants was mere ‘eyewash’.
“We have been protesting for our rights for years together, our husband’s who were assured by the government that they would not be deprived of their rights, live a nomadic life in their own motherland,” another lady said.
They appealed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan to take concrete steps for their rehabilitation and ensure all necessary travel documents including passport and Indian citizenship are issued to them.