SRINAGAR: Pakistani spouses of former militants on Saturday staged a protest demonstration here in Press Enclave demanding citizenship and allowance of visas from the State Government.
They said that they had come to Kashmir with their husbands, the ex-militants who had gone across the line of control (LoC) for arms training but surrendered and returned to the Valley, to live their life with dignity under government’s rehabilitation programme for surrendered militants.
The protesting women were carrying a banner that read, “Hum Pakistani hai, humein wapas bejdo (We are Pakistanis, send us back).
“We living in a cage here as we are not able to meet our parents, siblings and relatives due to lack of travel documents,” said Saba Fayaz, wife of a surrendred militant.
Saba along with her husband Fayaz Ahmad Bhat returned to the Valley in 2012.
She said that they were invited to settle in Kashmir and were promised of dignified life under the government’s rehabilitation policy announced for surrendered militants in 2010.
Saba said she doesn’t have an Indian passport to travel to Pakistan as she rues the rehabilitation policy for surrendered Kashmiri militants.
“We appeal to the prime Minister and foreign ministers of India and Pakistan that travel documents be issued to us on humanitarian grounds. If they do not give us the travel documents, then we should be made to exit,” the women added. The women said since their arrival in the state, they have not been able to visit their families in Pakistan.
“Many of our close relatives, including parents, have died during this period. We remain disturbed on account of welfare of our relatives back home and some of us are now suffering from psychiatric problems as well,” the protester women said. (PTK)
