Shopian , Aug. 16: Former PDP MLA from Wachi, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, on Sunday said he was detained by police at his residence in Zainapora in south Kashmir’s Shopian district ahead of a proposed protest at Ghanta Ghar, Shopian, demanding the introduction of a comprehensive crop insurance scheme for apples and cherries.
Mir told Greater Kashmir that police had locked the gate of his residence and prevented him from leaving. “They have also sealed the roads,” he alleged.
Mir had called on farmers to gather at Gole Chowk, Shopian, to press for the introduction of a comprehensive crop insurance scheme amid growing concerns over weather-related losses.
Recent hailstorms and windstorms have damaged apple orchards across Kashmir, spelling losses for hundreds of growers across more than two dozen affected orchards. With growers lacking a comprehensive insurance safety net, farmers have been left exposed to mounting losses from extreme weather.
Despite his detention, Mir said the protest went ahead. Taking to X, he said, “Despite being placed under house detention today, the voice of our farmers could not be silenced. Hundreds of fruit growers gathered at Ghanta Ghar, Shopian, and peacefully protested in support of our genuine demands.”
The protesters also sought adequate compensation for affected growers and measures to safeguard the horticulture sector, a key pillar of Jammu and Kashmir’s rural economy.
Reacting to Mir’s detention, PDP leader Iltija Mufti criticised the move, alleging that it was aimed at preventing a peaceful sit-in by Mir and hundreds of Kashmiri apple farmers seeking a comprehensive crop insurance scheme.
Detaining PDPs ex MLA Wachi Aijaz Mir sahab to scuttle a peaceful sit in by him & hundreds of Kashmiri apple farmers demanding a comprehensive insurance crop scheme shows high handedness & intolerance.
Horticulture the backbone of J&Ks economy is reeling under losses worth… pic.twitter.com/JyO2dN7IGf
— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) August 16, 2026
In a post on X, Mufti described the detention as an act of “high-handedness and intolerance” and said horticulture, which she called the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, was reeling from losses worth hundreds of crores because of the government’s “apathy” and refusal to address farmers’ concerns.
“Our farmers deserve a secure, dignified livelihood,” she said.
