PSA of Shah Faesal, two other Kashmiri leaders revoked

Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday revoked Public Safety Act (PSA) of former IAS topper-turned-politician, Shah Faesal and two leaders of regional PDP, who were detained after abrogation of Article 370 last August.

One of the most vocal critics of the Center’s move to end Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the 2010 IAS topper was detained at Delhi airport last August when he was reportedly on the way to Istanbul.

Besides, Faesal, the PSA of two senior leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - Sartaj Madani and Peer Mansoor- was also revoked, leaving last chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti among the few prominent leaders from the region who continue to be in detention.

Earlier, two other former chief ministers of J&K Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah were released in March after remaining in detention for more than seven months.

In April after more than eight months of incarceration, Mufti the president of the PDP, was shifted to her official Gupkar residence in Srinagar, where she has been kept under house detention since then.

Dozens of high profile politicians, including three former CMs, were detained by the government following the revocation of special status of J&K under Article 370 and 35-A and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories (UTs) on August 5, 2019.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah while welcoming the revocation of the PSA of Faesal, Madni and Mansoor demanded release of other detained leaders including Mehbooba.

“Good to hear @shahfaesal, Peer Mansoor & Sartaj Madani have been released from their unjust PSA detention. Disappointed that @MehboobaMufti, Sagar Sb & Hilal Lone continue to be detained. It’s high time they are set free as well (sic),” he tweeted.