3 min readSrinagarUpdated: Jul 12, 2026 11:23 PM IST
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti has said that she and her mother, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, have been put under house detention ahead of July 13, observed in Kashmir as Martyrs’ Day.
“As you see, we have been put under house arrest,” Iltija claimed in a video message. “A Sub Inspector Mohammad Rafi is here. We are requesting him to come inside to tell us why we have been put under house arrest, but he is not coming,” she said.
In the video, Iltija also questioned the claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. “The government makes claims of normalcy. This is the normalcy here; you can count the number of locks on our gates,” she said.
July 13 is commemorated as Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir over the killing of 22 Kashmiri Muslims in 1931 outside Srinagar central jail. Protesters had assembled outside the jail to witness the trial of Abdul Qadeer Khan, a cook for a British military officer. Khan had been charged with sedition for delivering a fiery speech in Srinagar, calling on the people to rise up against the Maharaja.
Before J&K’s special status was revoked in 2019, July 13 was officially commemorated as Martyrs’ Day with a state-wide public holiday, even though J&K’s two regions, Kashmir and Jammu, have always viewed the day differently.
Last year, the J&K Police put Valley-based political leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, under house detention on the occasion.
A day later, when the Chief Minister tried to visit the cemetery, he was stopped by police and paramilitary forces. Defying the restrictions, Abdullah hopped the fence to reach the cemetery.
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Iltija’s sister, Irtiqa Mufti, who has stayed away from politics, has questioned her house detention.
“Why on God’s good earth have we been placed on house arrest on July 12?” she asked in a post on X. “And I am not a political entity, so it is beyond me why I am not being allowed to leave my house. It is not Martyrs Day today,” she added.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while paying tribute to those killed on July 13, said their sacrifices would “forever symbolise humanity’s unwavering quest for dignity, justice and fundamental rights”.
“Their sacrifice marked a turning point that awakened generations to rise against injustice. July 13 will always remind us of the enduring power of unity, compassion and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression,” Abdullah said.
