Mehbooba Mufti lauds Pakistan's judiciary in comparison to India, cites lynching cases

Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), compared the judiciaries of India and Pakistan on Wednesday, claiming that although six others were condemned to death in a lynching case in Pakistan, people accused of the same crime in India were released on bail and felicitated. "In Pakistan, one man was lynched. They sentenced six to death and 12 others were given life sentence. How many Akhlaqs have been lynched here so far since 2015? No one has been punished," Mehbooba told reporters in Kulgam after a party convention.

"Forget about being punished, the accused are garlanded. That is the difference between this judiciary and that judiciary," she said.

Interacting with the media, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said the BJP has nothing to give to the people of the country except stoking communal sentiments.

"They don't have jobs for the youth, the price rise is uncontrollable and people are finding it difficult to get two square meals. They had said they will put Rs 15 lakh in people's account. Instead they snatched food grain from the farmers at cheap rate and distributed five kg free to each family. That's how this country is being run. In such a situation, targeting Muslims and their places of worship and raising Hindu-Muslim issues is all they have. However, I want to tell them if you have any prescription like Hitler, let it be known for all, what do you want to do with Muslims?," she asked.

Asked about the recent spate of killings in Kashmir, Mehbooba said unless the government stopped its 'muscular policy', she does not see an end to the bloodshed.

"They said once Article 370 goes, there will be no strike or killings. Why are people being killed now? What is the security forces doing? Unless they stop the policy of arrests and harassment, bloodshed in Kashmir won't stop," she added.

Earlier, she was also asked about JKLF chief Yasin Malik who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday (May 25) by an NIA court in Delhi. 

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She said Jammu and Kashmir is a 'political issue' and such incidents in the past have been unable to resolve the problem. "People (from Kashmir) have been hanged before as well but it has not resolved the issue. It has only become more complex. I think the consequences and results of adopting a muscular policy will not be good. It will be contrary to expectations," she added.

(With PTI inputs)

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