Farooq calls on leaders to unite for quick release of detainees

SRINAGAR: In his first formal statement, two days after his release, National Conference president and MP Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said free exchange of political views was necessary to take stock of the changes that had taken place in Jammu and Kashmir post revocation of its special status on August 5.

Farooq said though the political atmosphere in the region was still not conducive for such political discourse, as a first step, the government should bring back all J&K detainees from out-ofstate prisons pending their release.

“I have consciously avoided making any political statements since I was released from detention on March 13. While I believe a free and frank exchange of political views is essential so that we can take stock of the momentous changes that J&K has seen after August 5, 2019, we are still some way away from an environment where such political discourse will be possible. This is especially so considering the number of people detained in August last year who remain in jails outside J&K,” said Farooq in a statement.

This was the veteran NC leader’s first formal statement after his release after seven months of detention on Friday. He had avoided making a political statement after his release. On Saturday, after meeting his incarcerated son Omar Abdullah at Hari Niwas and then Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at his home, he again chose to remain silent.

Farooq sought the unity of all J&K political leaders and demanded that detainees be shifted and released.

“Before we allow politics to divide us, I appeal to all political leaders in the state to unite behind the call to bring back all detainees from J&K from prisons outside the state,” he said.

Farooq, Omar and Mehbooba Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party, were all detained the same day with other mainstream and separatist politicians to forestall the possibility of them leading protests against the Centre’s move to end Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and reorganise it into two Union territories.

NC PROVINCIAL PREZ MEETS FAROOQ

A delegation of NC leaders from Jammu led by provincial president Davender Singh Rana on Sunday called on party president Farooq Abdullah.

The meeting lasted for around half-an-hour, a NC leader said.