Demands release of all political detainees including two former CMs
SRINAGAR, March 13: Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday welcomed the likely release after the revocation of detention order issued under Public Safety Act (PSA) against Dr Farooq Abdullah, and demanded that the other two former chief ministers be also released at an earliest.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari termed the government move as estimable that will help in making the situation more conducive in Jammu and Kashmir. He demanded that the two other chief ministers—Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti besides hundreds of political activists currently detained in and outside Jammu and Kashmir jails be freed without any further delay.
“It has been our consistent demand that all the political activists and leaders including former chief ministers be released for facilitating a meaningful political process that will ease up the sufferings of people,” Bukhari observed.
The JKAP president remarked that the confinement of Dr Farooq Abdullah for over seven months had not only restricted his movement with a telling impact on his health but had also made him unable to attend parliament since August 5.
Bukhari said the central government must dispel the notion of growing assaults on democratic norms, fundamental rights and civic liberties of citizens in Jammu and Kashmir and release all other political detainees as soon as possible.
“The perception that the dissent is not only being stifled, but the avenues of raising critical voices are being systematically muted need to be do away with,” he said, while demanding a level playing field for all other political parties in the region.
He said that hundreds of political activists who are presently detained in outside Jammu Kashmir jails like Agra, Rai Bareli, Agartala and Tihar need to be shifted back to their native places so as to enable their families to meet them on regular basis.
“There are families who are not in a position to meet their loved ones detained after August 5, 2019. Those detainees need to be brought back and released without any further delay,” he advocated.
