'If army is attacked in Poonch, why are you torturing commoners?'

SRINAGAR: The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday questioned why the administration in the state is torturing common people after the army was attacked in Poonch.

While addressing a press conference, Mehbooba Mufti said, "If the army is attacked, why are you torturing common people? Authorities are oppressing the common people after the attack.

"Recently you heard a person named Mukhtar who was called for questioning committed suicide. Agencies have detained hundreds of people in the state in the aftermath of the incident," she added.

She further mentioned that the administration has started oppressing the locals ever since the events of the G20 started in the state.

"Ever since the G20 series started, youths are being called to the police station. Only in Pulwama agencies have detained 60 people. Hundreds of youths have been jailed in South Kashmir. Authorities are oppressing the locals. State government always say everything is under control in the region then why are they torturing people," she said.

Earlier last week National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah urged that "innocent people" should not be arrested during the investigation of the Poonch terror attack in which five soldiers were killed.

"Now that the investigation has started regarding the Poonch terror attack, innocents should not be arrested. It should be taken special care of. Many innocents are arrested and then tortured. This is the wrong method," Farooq Abdullah said.

"I don't want the innocent people to suffer," he stressed.

On April 20, an Army vehicle passing Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired upon by unidentified terrorists, through grenades, which lead to the death of five soldiers.

Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles deployed for counterterrorism operations lost their lives in the incident, the Army said.