Srinagar, June 6 -- As Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express connecting Katra with Srinagar, Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed the improved connectivity but reminded the Centre on Friday that it is "human links, not just train links," that matter more.
Addressing the Friday congregation at Srinagar's historic Jamia mosque in old Srinagar, Mirwaiz, who is also Kashmir's chief cleric, called for the release of prisoners on Eid-ul-Adha as a goodwill gesture.
He said for thousands of families in J&K, the Eid festival brings more pain than joy.
"Their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers have been incarcerated for years - many without trial - in jails within and outside J&K. And each passing day,...