‘Mehbooba, other political detainees may be released’
ASSURANCE TO DELEGATION J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari and his supporters call on Lieutenant Governor Murmu
SRINAGAR:: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu has conveyed to Apni Party chief and former minister, Altaf Bukhari that all the political detainees will be released before August 5, including the Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti. A delegation led by Bukhari recently met Murmu and discussed many issues with him.
› I met Lt Governor recently and he assured that in the coming days, all the political leaders who are still detained will be released by the government, including former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
ALTAF BUKHARI, Apni Party chief
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu has conveyed to Apni Party chief and former minister, Altaf Bukhari that all the political detainees will be released before August 5, including the Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
A delegation of Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari recently met Murmu and discussed several issues with him. “I met Lt Governor recently and discussed many things with him including restoration of statehood and the polls. He assured that in the coming days all the political leaders who are still detained will be released by the government, including former J&K chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti,’’ said Bukhari.
Bukhari who in March formed his new party Apni party comprising dozens of former legislators and ministers said that his party was the first to flag the issue about the release of political leaders especially former chief ministers. ‘’We are even hopeful that leaders will be released before Eid.’’
Bukhari said that he will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah in the coming days to know the status of the memorandum which he along with other party leaders had submitted to them earlier this year. “I am in Delhi and will seek an appointment with the Prime Minister and the home minister,’’ he said.
Though most of the political mainstream leaders have been released by the government including two former J&K chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, however, Mehbooba Mufti is still in detention under Public Safety Act at Gupkar. And many leaders after the release have been put under house arrest.
Last week, National Conference president and MP Srinagar Farooq Abdullah and vice-president and former J&K chief minister, Omar Abdullah filed petitions challenging the illegal detentions of 16 senior NC leaders.
The habeas corpus was filed by the two senior NC leaders at J&K high court terming the detention of NC leaders as ‘unconstitutional and illegal’.
Farooq Abdullah has filed the petition for the release of Ali Mohammad Sager, Abdul Rahim
Rather, Nasir Aslam Wani, Aga Sayeed Mehmood, Mohammad Khalil Band, Irfan Shah, Sheemama Firdous, while Omar Abdullah challenged the detention of Mohammad Shafi Uri, Aga Ruhullah, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mubarak Gul, Basher Veeri, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Bashaarat Bukhari, Saifudin Bhat and Mohammad Shafi.
National Cconference leaders along with other mainstream leaders were arrested a day before the abrogation of Article 370 along with Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah and some of the leaders were first taken to Centaur Hotel and then MLA hostel which was designated as the sub-jail and many leaders were also put under house arrest.
Many leaders continue to remain under house arrest, including those of mainstream parties like Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference and Peoples Movement party.