PDP's Nizamudin Bhat stirs controversy, tells women to seek help from Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party General Secretary Nizamudin Bhat stirred a controversy after a video went viral wherein he is heard telling a group of women to seek help from moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as "people here have lost compassion".

Bhat said, "If anyone has employment, medical problems, meet Mirwaiz Farooq. People here have lost compassion, Mirwaiz will help you better."

"Mirwaiz will be better... he will help you. Get some help first so that you can move around. The people here have lost compassion," Bhat said.

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 said 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.