Mehbooba shifted to her home, but will continue to remain in detention

The J&K authorities on Tuesday shifted incarcerated former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to her residence in Srinagar’s Gupkar area from a makeshift jail.

However, she would continue to remain in detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) as only her place of lodgement has been changed through a fresh order issued by Shaleen Kabra, principal secretary (Home) to J&K government, under the relevant provision of the stringent law. “Fairview”, her official residence on the foothills of Zabarwan here, has been declared a “subsidiary jail”.

Iltija Mufti who currently runs her twitter account said that her mother is home but still booked under the PSA. “This isn’t a release...the house has been declared as a subsidiary jail,” she said.

In a series of tweets, she said that media was not given access to her mother at all despite waiting for hours. “Is Government of India scared that she’ll articulate

Mehbooba Mufti

her views on illegal abrogation of Article 370?”, she asked and asserted “Time doesn’t change facts or erase a betrayal etched in memory”.

She said that when restrictions are finally lifted on Ms. Mufti, she will approach all stakeholders for a joint strategy to move forward.

“She will also speak to the press about her views on what transpired post 5th August,” she said adding that the former chief minister has urged the Centre to immediately release all detainees including political leaders jailed in and outside J&K.

She said, “All Kashmiris illegally detained since 5 August deserve freedom. Their incarceration even in times of a global pandemic undermines our democratic credentials.”