Iltija Mufti said she and her mother, Mehbooba Mufti, were placed under house arrest in Srinagar on July 12 [1].
The restriction comes as Jammu and Kashmir prepares for the Martyrs' Day observance, a date often marked by political tension and heightened security in the region.
Mufti, a leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and daughter of the former chief minister, said the restrictions were imposed for reasons best known to the J&K Police [1]. She used the social media platform X to challenge the local administration, saying that the government's claims of normalcy in the territory are false [3].
According to reports, these restrictions occurred amid a broader increase in security arrangements across the region [2]. Mufti also referenced reports of demolitions taking place in Sidhra as further evidence against the administration's narrative of stability [3].
"We have been placed under house arrest on the eve of Martyrs' Day for reasons best known to J&K Police," Mufti said [1].
The PDP leader did not specify the exact nature of the police presence at her residence, but said that the movement of both she and her mother was restricted [2]. This action follows a pattern of preventive detentions often used by the administration to curb political gatherings during sensitive anniversaries.
“"We have been placed under house arrest on the eve of Martyrs' Day for reasons best known to J&K Police."”
The reported house arrest of the Mufti family highlights the ongoing friction between the Jammu and Kashmir administration and regional political leaders. By restricting movement on the eve of Martyrs' Day, the government appears to be prioritizing security and the prevention of public unrest over political expression, while the PDP uses the incident to challenge the official narrative that the region has returned to a state of normalcy.
