Mufti barred from holding press meet

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti was barred by the authorities from holding a press conference at her residence in Srinagar yesterday.

The media were not allowed by the police to enter her residence for attending the press conference.

A posse of policemen stopped the journalists about 100 metres away from Mehbooba’s ‘Fairview’ residence in Gupkar area of the city here, where she was scheduled to address the media.The police said the presser of the PDP president was not allowed as per the orders from the higher ups.

“The press has been barred from entering my residence In Srinagar. This despite no written orders explaining my arbitrary detention. Kashmir is an open air prison where no one has the right to express their opinion,” Mufti claimed

Earlier yesterday, Mehbooba Mufti had alleged that she was detained and stopped from visiting the residence of party leader Waheed Parra, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on Wednesday.

Accusing the administration of bias, Mehbooba alleged that she was prevented from meeting Parra’s

family on the pretext of security, while the BJP leaders and Union ministers were allowed to travel across Kashmir.

“I have been illegally detained yet again. Since two days, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has refused to allow me to visit Waheed Parra’s family in Pulwama,” the former chief minister said.

“BJP ministers and their puppets are allowed to move around in every corner of Kashmir but security is a problem only in my case,” she wrote on Twitter.

Mehbooba said her daughter Iltija Mufti, who also wanted to visit Parra’s home and meet with his family, has also been placed under house arrest.

The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday arrested Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed Parra. He has been detained in connection with the former deputy superintendent Davinder Singh and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Naveed Babu case for supporting the proscribed terror outfit in a conspiracy case. Singh and Babu were arrested while travelling from Srinagar to Jammu in January this year.

Reacting to the ‘detention’, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said personal liberty was being treated as a favour by the government. It was being given and withdrawn at will,with no interference from the judiciary.