Thursday, May 16

“Shameless Is An Understatement …”: Mehbooba Mufti Over Turmoil In Kashmir Politics

Edited by Hiba Anvar

Reacting to the recent decision taken by Sama Shabir, daughter of jailed separationist Shabir Ahmed Shah, to dissociate herself from Separationist ideology, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti stated that “shameless is an understatement for such cowardly actions”. Mehbooba commenting on the recent development in Kashmir politics wrote on X that the state is threatening and forcing political workers to disassociate themselves from the mainstream.

She further alleged that the state is harassing families of separationists. Emphasizing the recent decision taken by Sama, Mehbooba wrote, “Not even sparing their daughters to peddle propaganda by making them disown their families. Even after a brutal crackdown & suppression GOI continues to feel paranoid”.

Making a seismic shift in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir just before heading to Lok Sabha elections, the granddaughter of the late hardline Hurriyat patriarch, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the elder daughter of jailed Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) founder Shabir Shah dissociated themselves from ‘separatist ideology’ and pledged loyalty to the “sovereignty of the Union of India”.

The DFP founder leader’s granddaughter Sama Shabir put out notices in a local daily declaring allegiance to the Union of India. “I, Sama Shabir Shah… want to clarify that I have not been associated nor have an affiliation with the Democratic Freedom Party, nor do have any inclination towards the ideology of the Democratic Freedom Party,” she said. “I hereby declare that if any person uses my name with the said party, Democratic Freedom Party, I shall take legal action against them… I am a loyal citizen of India and I am not affiliated with any person or organization which is against the sovereignty of the Union of India,” she wrote.

It is perhaps the first time that a family member of a separatist leader in Jammu and Kashmir has published such notices.