Srinagar, Feb 5, : Two Jammu and Kashmir politicians – Sajjad Lone and Waheed Para – were released today, exactly six months after they were detained by the central government ahead of the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status last year. Lone of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference and Para of the PDP, however, were placed under house arrest soon after they walked out of the MLAs’ hostel in Srinagar.
Kashmir’s three most prominent leaders – National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti continue to remain in detention. The centre has not provided any definite date for their release, only letting on that they will be freed at an “appropriate” time. According to the law, the detention of Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti ends this week.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had on Tuesday released two leaders – former PDP MLA from Wachi in south Kashmir Aijaz Ahmad Mir and trade leader Shakeel Ahmed Qalandar, who is the former president of the Federation Chamber of Industries, Kashmir. Since Sunday, a total of eight leaders have been released from preventive custody.
Hundreds of political leaders of Kashmir have been placed under detention or house arrest since August last year as the government announced its move to end special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.
Agencies
