SRINAGAR: Days ahead of the first anniversary of the scrapping of the special status, J&K administration has extended detention of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti under stringent Public Safety Act by another three months.
Mehbooba Mufti is now the only mainstream political leader who continues to be under detention after the special status of J&K was scrapped and the state was downgraded to two Union Territories almost a year ago. There are, however, several other political leaders who are under house arrest.
The order for extending Mehbooba’s three-month detention PSA was issued by the J&K’s Home department. Her PSA detention was ending on August 5.
“The law enforcing have recommended further extension in the period of detention and on examination the same is considered to be necessary. Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred, the government hereby directs that the period of detention of Ms Mehbooab Mufti be extended for a period of three months and she may be lodged subsidiary jail Fairview Gupkar Road Srinagar,” the order issued by the Home Department read.
Mehbooba was initially detained at a guest house turned sub-jail at CheshmaShahi in Zabarwan foothills on August 5 last year. She was lodged there for nearly 100 days. In November last year, she was shifted to a guest house turned jail in the city centre. On February 7, almost six months after placing her under preventive detention, the J&K administration invoked stringent PSA against her. She was shifted to her Fairview residence at posh Gupkar residence in April which was notified as a subsidiary jail .
Earlier, People’s Conference chief and former minister Sajad Lone was released from house detention.
Lone the former separatist turned mainstream politician was taken into custody along with top mainstream leader on eve of scrapping of J&K’s special status on August 5 last year and remained under preventive detention for six months. He was later released and put under house detention.
“Finally, five days short of a year I have been officially informed that I am a free man. So much has changed. So have I”, Lone tweeted soon after his release.
He said jail was not a new experience for him.
“Earlier ones were harsh with usual doses of physical torture. But this was psychologically draining. Much to share hopefully soon,” he said.
‘Highly undemocratic’
Peoples Democratic Party has called the move “a highly undemocratic, unconstitutional and inhuman approach”. The PDP said in a statement that “such vindictive measures” will not deter the PDP from “pursuing its core agenda and speaking truth to power”.