Free Waqar campaign continues despite pressure

After DNA ran a report on the global Free Waqar Campaign, the petition website to free jailed youngsters in Kashmir has come under pressure. Friends of Waqar, who had registered the petition (which had 495 signatures within 24 hours) were sent a mail by the website's administrators, explaining that the petition would have to be taken down within 48 hours due to legal issues.

The administrator's mail merely said, 'Hello, Unfortunately, our legal department has encountered some legal issues regarding your petition. We are forced to remove your petition from our site, otherwise we are subject to legal proceedings. The petition will be disabled for at least 48 hours prior to removal, but you will have access to its database during that period. We apologize once again. Thank you for your understanding. -Alex iPetitions
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Meanwhile, Friends of Waqar have moved Amnesty International into taking up the case. Sources confirmed that the international human rights organisation would delve into why the college student has been charged under the draconian Public Safety Act in Jammu and Kashmir and has been released only on paper. Friends of Waqar also visited the secretariat in Kashmir to inquire why he had not been released under the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s amnesty scheme, as was stated months ago in local newspapers.

Currently, the new petition site is being run by a renowned Mumbai-based activist and can be accessed at http://www.change.org/petitions/free-waqar-now