‘They were detained after Aug 5, 2019’
Nasir Azam
Srinagar : The government of Jammu and Kashmir may release six political leaders who are detained under the Public Safety Act, sources disclosed.
Highly placed sources disclosed to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that discussions are taking place at different levels on releasing six political leaders held at MLA hostel and a government accommodation at Posh Gupkar road.
“The government would soon take a call on whether to release NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, former minister Naeem Akther Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Sartaj Madni and Hilal Akbar Lone,” they said, adding that they were detained after August 5 when BJP-led central government abrogated J&K’s special position and bifurcated erstwhile state of J&K into two Union Territories.
After completing six months’ detention under the Criminal Procedure Code(CrPC), all of them were detained under the Public Safety(PSA) in February this year. Earlier thus month, the government extended their PSA detention by three months which is permissible under the controversial law enacted in 1977.
After abrogation of Article 370, the government detained more than 40 political leaders including three former Chief Ministers- Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti- and other prominent political leaders including Sajad Gani Lone and Shah Faesal.
While Farooq and Omar have been released, Mehbooba Mufti continues to be in detention under PSA at her Fairview residence here.
Sajad Lone also continues under house arrest from February 5 after he was released from MLA hostel—(KNO)
