NC leaders demand end to their ‘illegal detention’, Omar says their liberty must be restored

Srinagar, Jul 1 : As many as 19 prominent National Conference (NC) leaders, who are under house arrest in different parts of the valley, have sought immediate end to their ‘illegal and unlawful curbs on their fundamental right to movement’.

Meanwhile, reacting to the curbs on the movement of these leaders, former J&K chief minister and NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said those who criticize the Emergency of 1975 must ensure it is not repeated in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NC leaders, including its general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, who was released after 10 months in June following a High Court (HC) order quashing Public Safety Act (PSA) against him, wrote identical letters to the Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary (Home), urging him to lift restrictions on their movements.

The NC leaders in the letters said that they are being subjected to an ‘illegal and unlawful confinement’ and are suffering incarceration at their residences since August 5 last year, when centre abrogated special status of J&K and divided the erstwhile state into two Union Territories

They further said that their ‘fundamental right of movement has been illegally and unlawfully curtailed’. “Any movement beyond the residence has been restricted though no order, whether preventive or otherwise, justifying such confinement has till date been served,” they said.

The leaders, including Sagar, NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, former ministers Mubarak Gul, Abdul Rehman Rather, Mohammad Shafi Uri and Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, said despite repeated requests there are neither being allowed to move out of houses nor provide with orders specifying the arrest and grounds thereof.

Demanding immediate removal of all restrictions on their movement, the leaders threatened to take legal course to end their ‘illegal confinement’.

Taking to micro-blogging site twitter, Mr Abdullah, said, “My colleagues have been detained unlawfully in their homes since August, 2019 and their liberty must be restored without further loss of time. Those who criticise the Emergency of 1975 must ensure it is not repeated in Jammu and Kashmir.”

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah, besides dozens of mainstream leaders, including ex-ministers, were detained on August 5, 2019, when centre abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

Omar Abdullah was released in March after about eight month detention following revocation of PSA which was slapped against him. Dr Farooq, who is MP from Srinagar, was also released in March after remaining under detention for about seven months. The NC president was released after his PSA was revoked by the J&K administration. Some other people lodged in different jails outside J&K were released last month amid COVID-19 outbreak.

Other leaders, including IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal, senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders Sartaj Madni and Peer Mansoor, were released earlier last month.

In April, the detention of Mehbooba Mufti under PSA was extended by three months. Ms Mehbooba was later shifted from a government guest house to her official residence after it was converted into sub-jail, where she continued to remain lodged. Mr Mehbooba is the only political leader in the valley who remained detained under PSA.