NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: In the first release of a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, who has been kept in detention since the nullification of Article 370, National Conference patriarch and Srinagar MP Farooq Abdullah on Friday stepped out of his Gupkar Road home after seven months.Abdullah, 82, was booked under the Public Safety Act, on grounds that he had made speeches that could inflame public sentiment. His release, official sources said, could set the stage for his son Omar Abdullah and PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti , both former CMs, also being freed — perhaps signalling a political thaw.He parried questions from reporters on his future plans, saying he would “prefer silence till others detained under PSA are released”. With wife Molly by his side, he said, “I am free... Hope other political leaders will be released soon. I thank all parliamentarians who fought for my freedom. Will be able to take a decision on future only after other leaders are released.”Asked if he would continue to speak out against nullification of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution to revoke J&K’s special status, Farooq said, “I will go to Parliament and raise my voice there.”There had been reports of a political outreach to those held in detention at their homes with former RAW chief AS Dulat meeting Abdullah. There were indications that NC and PDP, the two main regional parties in the Valley, might consider participating in panchayat elections if their members were released. There was also a limit, in political terms, to the length of detention, particularly as the situation has been largely peaceful.“The release of Farooq Abdullah and further plans to review detention orders of Mehbooba and Omar under J&K Public Safety Act (PSA) indicate the situation in J&K has returned to complete normalcy,” said a central government functionary. The detention order issued under PSA against Mehbooba and Omar in early February has a validity of three months.Sources said political activity was already on with former PDP, NC and Congress MLAs floating Apni Party. “The release of top leaders of NC and PDP will now restore political activity in full and also ensure they are part of consultations on proposed delimitation of assembly and parliamentary seats,” the functionary said.Abdullah’s release comes as there are indications that the Centre might consider scheduling panchayat polls that were put off recently. The emergence of Apni Party under former PDP member Altaf Bukhari, with the support of some 40 former legislators, has stirred the waters in the Valley and given NC and PDP something to think about.Principal secretary (home) Shaleen Kabra’s order announcing the administration’s decision came after Abdullah completed six months of detention under a law which, ironically enough, was enacted in 1978 by his father Sheikh Abdullah.Though the NC chairman had been under house arrest since August 5 last year, it wasn’t until September 15 that the administration invoked PSA to extend his custody by three months. The move came hours before the Supreme Court was to hear a petition filed by MDMK’s Vaiko, challenging Abdullah’s detention. On December 13, the administration issued a fresh order extending his detention by another three months.TOI has learnt that the delimitation commission — constituted last week with former SC judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as chairperson and election commissioner Sushil Chandra and state CEO as ex-officio members — is likely to begin its work towards the end of this month. Sources indicated that the panel, which will also be handling delimitation of seats in four other states — Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — may take between six-eight months to complete its work.Only after the delimitation award is notified can fresh assembly elections be held in the UT of J&K. Post-delimitation, the J&K assembly will have a total of 114 seats, up from 107 at present.