No respite from detention for Omar, Mufti
SRINAGAR: Even as the Jammu and Kashmir administration is gradually releasing the mainstream politicians, two former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti’s detention may be extended.
Sources say that authorities could extend the detention of Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, whose custody under section 107 of CRPC had lapsed.
According to sources, deliberations are on whether to continue with the section 107 or slap the Public Safety Act (PSA) on both of them. Same is the case with Shah Faesal, the former IAS officer turned politician, who has also been in detention for months now.
Onthursdaytwoprominentmainstreamleaders, senior National conference leader Ali Mohammad Sagar and a senior Peoples Democratic Party leader and uncle of Mehbooba Mufti Sartaz Madni, were shifted from the MLA hostel to a government building M5 on the highly secure Gupkar road, which has been designated as a sub-jail.
Meanwhile, National conference leader and former MLC Bashir Veeri was released from detention on Thursday. More than three dozen leaders were detained after the abrogation of Article 370, but most of them have been released now on the Supreme Court’s direction.
Farooq Abdullah has been detained at his home at Gupkar road in Srinagar, which has been designated as a sub jail. Omar Abdullah is detained at Hari Niwas and Mehbooba Mufti has been kept in a government building on the Maulana Azad Road.
A total of 35 mainstream politicians were moved from the Centaur hotel on the banks of the Dal lake to the MLA hostel in November 2019.
Even after the release of more detained mainstream politicians in Srinagar, hopes of the regional political parties restarting political activities still remains a far cry in Kashmir.
Sajjad Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC) and Waheed Para of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were released on Wednesday and placed under house arrest in Srinagar.
Three former chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti among other senior politicians who were placed under detention on Aug.5 last year when Article 370 was abrogated.
Besides the three former chief ministers, Abdur Rahimrather,alimuhammadsagar,naeemakhtar, Mubarak Gul and former IAS officer Shah Faesal are among those still under detention inside the MLA hostel in Srinagar which has been declared as a sub-jail.