PDP's Iltija Mufti claims she, mother Mehbooba Mufti placed under house arrest

Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti accused authorities of placing her and her mother, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, under house arrest on Saturday.

In a post shared on social media platform X, Iltija alleged that the gates of their residence had been locked to stop them from travelling to Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and Kathua in the Jammu region.

“My mother & I both have been placed under house arrest. Our gates have been locked up because she was meant to visit Sopore where Waseem Mir was shot dead by the army. I intended to visit Kathua today to meet Makhan Din’s family today & am not being allowed to even move out,” Iltija posted on X.

She added that the situation in Kashmir remained unchanged, even after the elections, and criticised the government for criminalising the act of comforting grieving families.

The allegations come in the wake of two incidents that have sparked public outrage. On Wednesday, a truck driver was killed by the army after allegedly jumping a checkpoint in Sopore. His death has been met with strong condemnation, with his family and political leaders questioning the official narrative.

On the same day, 26-year-old Gujjar youth Makhan Din died by suicide in Kathua district, hours after allegedly being tortured in police custody. Before his death, Makhan Din purportedly recorded a 3.48-minute video inside a mosque in Billawar area, detailing the abuse he suffered during questioning by Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Iltija said that she had planned to take a flight from Srinagar to Jammu, followed by a visit to Kathua, but said she was barred from leaving her home in Khimber, located on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The PDP, led by Mehbooba Mufti, has been a vocal critic of the government’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir, especially following the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019.