Mehbooba’s close aide Peer Mansoor booked under PSA
STRINGENT ACTION Fourth PDP leader to be slapped with the Public Safety Act; to remain lodged at the MLA hostel
SRINAGAR: Former political adviser and close aide of PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, Peer Mansoor was booked under the Pubic Safety Act (PSA) on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said.
He is the fourth senior PDP leader who has been booked under the stringent law in last couple of weeks. Mansoor, however, continues to remain lodged at the MLA hostel along with bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal and Hilal Lone, son of Baramulla MP Akbar Lone.
The former legislator, who hails from south Kashmir, was detained ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.
He was served the PSA detention order on Wednesday night by officials at the MLA hostel here. “Peer Mansoor had been booked under the PSA and was served the order last night,” a senior PDP leader on condition of anonymity said.
The MLA hostel had been declared a sub jail and as many as 34 political leaders of various mainstream parties like National Conference (JKNC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples’ Conference (JKPC) and Peoples’ Movement (JKPM) were shifted here on November 17 from the Centaur Hotel where they were held under preventive detention after abrogation of Article 370.
In last three weeks, most of the leaders have either been shifted to their homes or other detention centres.
Shah Faesal and Hilal Lone were booked under the PSA for three months on February 15 and 10 respectively. On February 8, senior PDP leader and former education minister Naeem Akhtar was shifted to M5 government quarters from the MLA hostel after he was booked under the law. On February 6, NC general secretary and former law minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and PDP vice president Sartaj Madni, who were at MLA Hostel, were also shifted to M5 government quarters at Gupkar after PSA was slapped on them.
Two former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, under detention at two separate places other than MLA hostel, were also booked under PSA on February 6.
On February 5, PC chairman Sajjad Lone and PDP youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra were released from MLA Hostel and put under house detention.
On January 16, five mainstream leaders, including three former legislators, were released by the administration from MLA hostel and on December 30, five leaders were released from the hostel.