Sitting parliamentarian from Srinagar and National Conference president, Farooq Abdullah, detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) since September 2019, was set free by the Jammu & Kashmir Government immediately after his detention order was revoked by the Home Department on Friday.
Abdullah, along with two other former Chief Ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, was kept under preventive detention since August 5 last year, the day the Centre abrogated the special status of J&K under Article 370. Later he was booked under PSA on September 15, 2019.
In his first reaction to media, he said, “Today I don’t have words, the way I feel today, I am free...I hope my people will be free.”
Emerging out of his home, along with his wife and daughter, Abdullah, wearing a black overcoat and a traditional karakul cap, first of all greeted his well wishers and mediapersons assembled outside his Gupkar Road residence.
Abudullah said that this freedom would not be complete unless all the leaders in detention were freed”.
When mediapersons asked him to spell out his next move, Abdullah announced, “I will not speak on political matters until everyone else is released”.
“I hope my people will be free. The people of this State will be free. Let us pray to god that we get true freedom for which we have been trying for so long.”
Abdullah also extended thanks to all fellow parliamentarians who stood behind him. “I thank all parliamentarians who fought for my freedom. I will be able to take a decision on the future only after other leaders are released,” he said.
Abdullah’s release is seen as another major political development in Jammu & Kashmir close on the heels of launch of Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party, floated by former PDP Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari.
Meanwhile, Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who operates her mother’s Twitter account posted series of tweets. In her first tweet she said, “Time to release all detainees including thousands of young men languishing in jails outside J&K. This has gone on for far too long; must end now.”