NEW DELHI, March 25:
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti is likely to be released on Wednesday, seven months after her detention, people familiar with the development confirmed.
Former J&K CM and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was released from preventive detention on Tuesday. Like Abdullah, Mufti was put under preventive detention on 5 August after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state.
While Mufti was booked under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), a senior central government official said the process of revoking PSA against Mufti and completion of all formalities was underway. Mufti is likely to be released in the afternoon.
The Centre’s decision to release all major political leaders from detention marks the onset of a new political era in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory.
Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti had moved Supreme Court in February challenging her mother’s detention.
Earlier today, Omar Abdullah tweeted, “It’s callous & cruel to continue to detain @MehboobaMufti & others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place & none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3 week lockdown. I hope @PMOIndia & @HMOIndia will release them.”
Courtesy: Live Mint
