Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti on February 8 alleged that she and her mother, party chief Mehbooba Mufti, were placed under house arrest in Kashmir.

Iltija Mufti said she had planned to visit Kathua, while Mehbooba intended to travel to Sopore to meet the family of Waseem Mir, a truck driver killed in an army firing incident on Wednesday. However, both were allegedly prevented from leaving their residence.

In a social media post, Iltija shared images of their locked front gate and accused the authorities of restricting their movement. “Our gates have been locked up because she was meant to visit Sopore, where Waseem Mir was shot dead by the army,” she wrote on X.

She also expressed disappointment over the political situation in Kashmir, saying, “Nothing has changed in Kashmir even after elections. Now, even comforting the families of victims is being criminalized.” Iltija tagged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in her post.

The controversy comes after the killing of Waseem Majeed Mir, a truck driver, in army firing at Sangrama in Baramulla district. The army claimed that Mir had jumped a checkpoint and was shot after a 23-kilometer chase. Iltija questioned the army’s explanation, asking how a misfire could have resulted in his death.

She also raised concerns about the death of Makhan Din, a 26-year-old resident of Batodi village in Kathua. Din, accused of militant links, allegedly died by suicide following what his family described as police harassment. A video he recorded before his death, in which he denied any involvement with militants, has gone viral, leading to separate investigations by the police and local administration.

“Are Kashmiri lives so cheap? How long will you justify this unbridled impunity by pointing everyone with the needle of suspicion?” Iltija Mufti asked in her post.