PDP leader sparks controversy, tells women to seek help from Hurriyat leader

“Mirwaiz will be better… He will help you. Get some help first so that you can move around. The people here have lost compassion,” PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat told a group of women on Saturday.

The women, hailing from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, are married to local Kashmiri youths who had crossed the Line of Control for arms training but returned to the Valley after the state government announced an amnesty scheme for them.

The women were seeking help from the ruling party office bearer for rehabilitating them.

Bhat told the women that they should aproach the Hurriyat chairman as he runs Auaqaf Trust or they can also meet the Vice Chairman of the government-run Muslim Auqaf Trust.

“If anyone has employment problems, medical treatment needs… The emergency needs, meet (Mirwaiz) Umar sahib. They run an Auqaf or there is government-run Muslim Auqaf Trust at zero bridge. Meet the vice chairman,” Bhat, a former MLA from Bandipora constituency, said.

The women sought the address of the Hurriyat chairman which Bhat wrote on a piece of paper for them.

“Mirwaiz sahib lives in Nigeen,” the PDP general secretary said while his aide, who cannot be seen in the video, added: “Ask anyone. They will tell you.”

When contacted, Bhat told PTI that he told the women to meet the Mirwaiz in his capacity as the head of the Jamia Auqaf Committee and not as the Hurriyat Chairman.

“Mirwaiz is a head of the Auqaf and the funds of that Auqaf are meant for the welfare of Muslims. If we are accountable, they should also be accountable. It was not only the Jamia Auqaf, I also told them to go to the Muslim Auqaf Trust,” Bhat said.

The PDP leader said he assured the women that he would take up their issues with the state government.

“We did what we could do at that point in time,” he added.