Several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, 24 March, hailed the release of National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah from over seven months detention after nullification of Article 370 and demanded the release of all detainees in the Union Territory.
Welcoming the release of its vice-president, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference also sought the release of all political detainees and others languishing in jails inside and outside J&K since the nullification of Article 370 and revocation of J&K special status.
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah expressed happiness over the revocation of Omar's PSA (Public Safety Act) detention, but said total redemption of the situation was not possible until all political detainees were not released.
"I am glad to see him out from the detention, which has lasted for around eight months. Total redemption of the situation is not possible until all political detainees and others are not released at once. I express my gratitude to those people, politicians, parliamentarians, who have all along been seeking his release."Farooq Abdullah, National Conference President
Several other party leaders, including Members of Parliament, also welcomed the release of the party's vice president. The leaders also asked for the immediate release of party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar who is also detained under PSA.
The party has also demanded the release of all political leaders who are under house detention including NC's Kashmir unit's Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, besides leaders Chowdhary Ramzaan, Mohammad Shafi Uri, AR Rather, Shameema Firdous and others.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti also welcomed Omar's release from the detention. Iltija, whose mother is still under detention under the Public Safety Act, said for all its talk of women power and women emancipation, the Centre seems to fear the women the most, referring to her mother's detention.
Iltija wrote on Mehbooba's Twitter handle after the government ordered his release. She has been tweeting from her mother's handle ever since the PDP President and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was detained in August last year.
CPI(M) Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik, while welcoming Omar's release, urged the government to release political leaders, activists and civil society members detained "arbitrarily" after 5 August, 2019.
"Omar's release is a step to correct one wrong among many wrongs. Though late, the decision to revoke the PSA imposed against Omar Abdullah is a welcome one. In the wake of spread of deadly coronavirus, the government should release all the detainees who were detained after 5 August including PDP President and former CM Mehbooba Mufti, and Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement Chief Shah Faesal," the CPI(M) secretary said in a statement.
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference also welcomed Omar's release, but demanded the release of its chairman Sajad Lone.
"We at @jkpc welcome the release of Omar Abdullah. We demand the release of @sajadlone and @mehboobamufti. We also strongly demand the release of hundreds of others detained under PSA. @jkpc demands the release of our workers being held under PSA on Srinagar Central Jail and jails outside J&K," JKPC leader Imran Reza Ansari wrote on Twitter.
The recently-launched Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also welcomed the release of former chief minister and demanded that all other political detainees, including Mehbooba, be also released at the earliest in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a statement issued, Bukhari termed the revocation of the PSA against Omar a significant move that will help in making the situation more conducive in Jammu and Kashmir.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)