Srinagar, May 6 (UNI) Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday wrote to the J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha seeking the release of innocent youth detained in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.



In the letter PDP chief Mehbooba highlighted Kashmir’s overwhelming solidarity in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.



She said while the nation grieves the cowardly assault, Kashmiris went a step further—observing a complete shutdown and hitting the streets in protest.



“For the first time, people here openly defied terrorism and stood united with the nation,” she wrote, adding that locals rushed to aid the injured, ferried them to hospitals, and donated blood—not out of obligation, but as a moral duty.



“For the first time, Kashmiris openly defied terrorism & stood united with the nation during this critical time. Even in the immediate aftermath of the attack, it was local Kashmiris who rushed to help the injured, transporting them to hospitals and donating blood not as a favor but as a heartfelt duty toward their fellow citizens,” she said.



Mehbooba claimed that the response from various security agencies that has followed appears less like a focused investigation and more like a sweeping and indiscriminate crackdown.



“Over 3,000 arrests and nearly 100 Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions have been reported. Such numbers are alarming and don't reflect justice but rather a collective form of punishment. This approach not only risks alienating families and communities but also begs the question: where will all this lead us to?,” she asked



“While we are all unequivocally in favour of justice, the actions currently being undertaken amount to mass retribution,” she added



Mehbooba said that no democratic and responsible society can or should accept such treatment of its own people.

“I have long maintained that the people of Kashmir have extended a hand of goodwill. But it is now for the rest of the nation to respond in kind. It is deeply disheartening that the actions of a few terrorists are now determining how security agencies respond to the situation & go on a spree of arrests of innocent civilians,” she said.



With the Amarnath Yatra approaching, she called for the release of innocents and an end to punitive measures, urging authorities to let Kashmiris “breathe easy” and prepare to welcome pilgrims with their hallmark warmth and hospitality.



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