Srinagar, Kashmir (April 01, 2014): With Supreme Court of India (SCI) commuting Sikh political prisoner Professor Devender Pal Singh Bhullar’s death sentence to life term, Jammu and Kashmir’s political parties – National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday (March 31) said the verdict will keep reminding Kashmir of the “miscarriage of justice” in the Parliament attack case. It is notable that Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri, was hanged by Indian state in secrecy on 9 February 2013.
Ruling National Conference said the SCI’s order for Bhullar highlighted “discrimination somewhere in the system” that made the Centre “expedite” the death sentence of Afzal Guru without him being afforded “adequate opportunities and provisions to appeal for mercy”.
“While we do not resent, nor oppose the relief provided to Bhullar, we cannot help but wonder why this could not be done in Afzal Guru’s case. Both the legal process that led to the execution of Afzal Guru as well as the manner of his execution raised a lot of questions about the objectivity and neutrality of our legal system,” NC spokesperson Junaid Mattu said in a statement here.
Reacting to the verdict, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said: “Such development as like the latest by the apex court or its earlier verdict on convicts who have been on death row has re-opened the wounds of Kashmiris.”