india

Updated: Oct 16, 2019 21:02 IST

The daughter and the sister of former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and 11 other women, who were detained on Tuesday for protesting against abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, were released 30 hours later on Wednesday from the Srinagar Central Jail.

Their counsel Altaf Khan said the women were made to sign a bond prohibiting them from speaking or making a statement before their release.

The women, half of them in their 70s and 80s, were arrested for breach of peace and violating public order after they protested in the city centre against the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, detention of political leaders and alleged violation of fundamental rights in the Valley.

Farooq Abdullah’s daughter, Safiya Abdullah, refused to comment but showed her wrist bearing the stamp of the jail authorities.

Wife of former chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Hawa Bashir said, “All that we had to say, we have said it,” while her elder sister Ruqaya said that they were “successful” (in making a point).

It was the first women protest in the city against the abrogation of Article 370 and detention of political leaders and breaking of the state in two UT’s.

Besides members of the Abdullah family, participants included academicians, retired teachers, social activists and also a non-Kashmiri activist and executive director of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation, Sushobha Bharve.

Earlier this month, a protest was organised by journalists in the press club against the internet and mobile shutdown.

Hundreds of people including mainstream politicians, members of civil society, trade federation leaders and separatist leaders have been detained since August 4-- a day before Centre introduced a resolution to abrogate article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir. Many have been booked under Public Security Act (PSA) and sent to different states outside the Valley.