On Thursday, the Jammu & Kashmir administration revoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) of senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Aktar & National Conference leader Hilal Lone, who were arrested on Aug 5 2019, when the Centre revoked J&K’s special status.

A family member told the news agency that “Yes, an order on the revocation of the PSA was handed over to Mr. Akhtar & was allowed to shift home on Thursday evening".

Mr. Akhtar, Ex-Minister during the PDP-BJP rule, was first arrested on Aug 5 & was later slapped with the stringent PSA & put behind the bars for almost ten months.

Baramulla MP Muhammad Akbar Lone’s son Hilal was also arrested & slapped with the PSA. Earlier, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court quashed the PSA of senior NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar.

NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said, “We welcome the release of Mr. Lone from the unlawful & solitary detention that lasted for nearly 10 months. However, redemption of the situation cannot take place until all detainees languishing inside & outside J&K are released. Scores of our youth are still languishing in jails across the country, it is high time the government allowed them to walk free".

He also demanded the immediate release of party leaders including Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Nasir Aslam Wani, Mohammad Shafi Uri, AR Rather, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Mir Saifullah, Ali Muhammad Dar, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, Irfan Shah, Aga Syed Mehmood & Abdul Majeed Larmi from the continuous house arrest.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is now the last prominent political figure to face the PSA in the mainstream camp. She is under house arrest in Srinagar.

Sajad Lone’s Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference termed the revocation of PSA “as a welcome step”.

PC spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Mir said that “While this is a step in the right direction, the government must also revoke detentions of other political leaders, including PC chairman Sajad Lone & PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who continue to remain under house arrest. We also urge the government to unconditionally release political workers & activists booked under the draconian PSA & languishing in jails across the country".

Source LInk

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