Mehbooba is being held at her official residence in Srinagar, which has been declared a subsidiary prison.
Mufti was among hundreds of people and political leaders in the state who were taken into preventive custody hours before the Center revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5 last year.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: October 13, 2020 10:49 PM IST
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Former Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, was released from his detention on Tuesday.
“The head of the PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, will be released from detention,” said Jammu and Kashmir administration spokesman Rohit Kansal.
A government order issued Tuesday night said his detention was being revoked with immediate effect.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration in July had extended his detention for three months under the strict Public Safety Act (PSA).
Mufti, who became the chief prime minister of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 as head of the PDP-BJP alliance, was arrested along with other leaders hours before the Center bifurcates the state into two union territories. and repeals article 370. on August 5 of last year. She was first detained under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC, but was later booked under the controversial PSA.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers and leaders of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were released in March after more than seven months in detention.
Mufti was initially accommodated at the Cheshma Shahi guesthouse and was later transferred to another government guesthouse on MA Link Road in Srinagar. She was then taken to her residence, where she remained under house arrest.
In response to the government’s decision, his daughter Iltija Mufti took to Twitter to thank everyone for their support. Iltija had contested his detention in the Supreme Court, which last heard the case on September 29.
Now that Ms. Mufti’s illegal detention is finally coming to an end, I would like to thank everyone who supported me through these difficult times. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you. This is Iltija’s farewell. فی امان اﷲ May allah protect you
– Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 13, 2020
Omar Abdullah, who was previously released, welcomed the move. “I am pleased to learn that Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. Her continued detention was a travesty and was against the basic principles of democracy,” he said in a tweet.
I’m glad to hear that @MehboobaMufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. His continued detention was a parody and was against the basic principles of democracy. Welcome to Mehbooba.
– Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 13, 2020
Congressional leader Ghulam Nabi Azad described the 15-month detention as “unique in our country.”
Thank god at last @MehboobaMufti has been released after more than 15 months. This arrest like that of Farooqsahib & @ OmarAbdullah was unique in our country, where the government. They ordered the arrest themselves, they do not know the reason and the crime committed by these 3 leaders.
– Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) October 13, 2020
CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami said: “We urge the authorities to release other people who continue to be detained since August 4, 2019, under draconian laws such as PSA, UAPA and sedition.”
Mufti was initially detained on August 5 last year. After spending more than eight months in detention in two government facilities designated as sub-prisons, she was transferred to her home on April 7 with partial relief. Initially, she was taken into protective custody. Later, on February 5 of this year, she was slapped with the PSA.
Mufti heads the PDP, which was in power in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the BJP until June 2018.
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