Thursday, June 18, 2009

JKCHR expresses concern on PSA abuse

Courtesty: Rising Kashmir News
London, June 18: London based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights Thursday expressed serious concern on the abuse of authority by a section of State administration in Jammu and Kashmir.Expressing its concern on the arrest and detention of juveniles under PSA, Secretary General JKCHR Dr Syed Nazir Gilani said the alleged arrest of a 14-year-old under PSA does not reflect well on the core ability of the civil administration to serve the interests of the State in the collective welfare of its people. It seems that the administrative habitat in Kashmir has not moved beyond the repressive culture of September 1931, when people were incarcerated as ‘turbulent persons’ by the Maharaja government.
Gilani said the powers exercised by police under PSA was a grim reminder of Maharaja’s Notification on 24 September 1931 providing for the “conferment of Special Powers upon certain...officers for suppression of disorder and the restoration and maintenance of law and order” in the State.JKCHR Secretary General said that the authority of the elected government to govern is the freely expressed will and confidence of the people. “If it fails to conserve the trust of the people and fails to respect their basic rights, the core basis of governance is vitiated.”
Commenting on other arrests under PSA, Gilani said that a prisoner or a detainee does not lose his or her human rights. “Treatment of such people is the real litmus test of a decent and law abiding administration.”Gilani cautioned the officials involved in such arrests that if they fail in their duty to fairness they might have incurred a criminal liability for the abuse of their authority, which embeds very serious consequences for the offending officers.

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