Call on release of former J-K CMs likely in the next few days

india

Updated: Oct 11, 2019 05:26 IST

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration will decide when to release former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and other detained political leaders over the next few days, officials in the security establishment said on condition of anonymity on Thursday.

“Over the next few days, a decision will be taken on the release of senior political leaders and other prisoners,” one of the officials cited above said.

About 800 people, including top politicians, have been under detention since the Centre moved to revoke J&K’s special status and to split the state into two Union territories in August. Around 250 of them have been shifted out of Kashmir.

The officials said that former Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker Yawar Mir, National Conference’s Noor Mohammed, and Congress’s Shoaib Lone have been released this week after signing an undertaking that they would not breach the peace. They added that any violation of the undertaking will lead to prosecution.

Earlier, former minister Imran Raza Ansari of the People’s Conference was released on health grounds on September 21.

It was immediately unclear whether the senior leaders will also be asked to give the undertaking, which would essentially limit their political activities.

Farooq Khan, an adviser to J&K governor, last week said that political detainees would be released “one by one” after the administration is assured that their release will not lead to any law and order crisis.

The officials cited above said the government is of the view that a few months of calm will allow it roll out the various developmental schemes and their implementation would reduce opposition to the removal of the special status.

A lockdown and a communication blackout were also imposed in Kashmir along with the detention of political leaders. The clampdown has since been eased with the restoration of landline phones. Mobile phones and the internet continue to be largely blocked.

The J&K administration withdrew an advisory issued on August 2, asking tourists to cut short their visit to Kashmir.