SC to hear plea for providing security to pilgrims in Kishtwar

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government to provide adequate security and safe passage to pilgrims stranded due to curfew in Kishtwar.
A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, before whom the matter was mentioned for an urgent hearing, said it will hear the plea and posted it for hearing tomorrow.
The PIL filed by Sudesh Dogra, Political Secretary of J&K National Panthers Party, also sought a direction to the government to provide safe passage to the pilgrims to enable them to return home.

The petition, filed through senior advocate Bhim Singh, sought a direction for providing food and medical facilities to the stranded pilgrims till their evacuation saying their survival is under threat.
It said that on August 9, clashes between two communities left two people dead and left several others injured in Kishtwar district where curfew was clamped.
The streets of Kishtwar saw ugly scenes on Eid-ul-Fitr with people of two communities attacking each other and indulging in widespread arson or torching shops and vehicles, it said.

"The most important point, which needs urgent redressal by this court, is to save the lives of thousands of pilgrims travelling back from Machel to Batote (national highway) who have been stranded on the 60km route from Padar to Kishtwar.

"The reports have confirmed that about 50 buses carrying pilgrims have been stranded beyond Kishtwar," it said, adding they have no lodging or boarding facilities on the way.
It also sought compensation for all those whose houses, shops, infrastructure and other belongings have been destroyed by the mob in the clashes in Kishtwar.