The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday revoked the detention order of former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah under the Public Safety Act. The National Conference leader will be released after spending over seven months in detention.
The order revoking the detention was issued by Principal Secretary Shaleen Kabra.
“My father is a free man again,” tweeted Abdullah’s daughter Safia Abdullah Khan.
National Conference leader Davinder Rana welcomed the Centre’s decision, ANI reported. “Imposing Public Safety Act on Farooq Abdullah was a wrong decision,” he told reporters. “I welcome the decision to revoke it. All other political detainees should also be released so that the voice of Jammu and Kashmir can reach everywhere.”
The National Conference said in a statement that Abdullah’s release will be a right step for the restoration of a genuine political process in Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported. As the pre-eminent political party of Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference has played a key role in strengthening the voice of the people through democracy and will continue to do so,” the statement added.
The party said the political process will receive a further fillip when party vice president Omar Abdullah and other political detainees are set free, and urged the Centre to do so as soon as possible.
The politician has been under detention since India scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year and imposed prohibitory orders. The former chief minister was also booked under the Public Safety Act, which allows a person to be detained without a trial for three to six months, on September 17. It was extended by three months in December. Farooq Abdullah was detained at his residence in Gupkar Road in Srinagar.
His son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, both former chief ministers too, continue to be detained under the Public Safety Act.
Several Opposition leaders have questioned the government’s move to charge the politicians under the stringent law.
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