Farooq Abdullah’s detention under Public Safety Act revoked

Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha member, Farooq Abdullah was set free on Friday after authorities said his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) had been revoked.

Rohit Kansal, spokesman of the Union Territory administration said on Friday that the PSA detention order of Farooq Abdullah has been revoked.

The order said, “In exercise of powers conferred under section 19 (1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978, the government hereby revoked the detention order issued by District Magistrate, Srinagar, which was extended for a period of three months and further extended by three months, with immediate effect.”

Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Sahid Chaudhary said, “The PSA has been revoked and there are no restrictions on him any more.”

However, a top official told IANS that the PSA against Abdullah has been removed, but the order will take some to be executed.”

Abdullah was kept under detention in his high security Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar city after Article 370 was abrogated and the state divided into two Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K.

The elder Abdullah has been set free and there are so far no indications that he has given some undertaking to the authorities not to indulge in political activities those could disturb the law and order situation in J&K.

Some quarters are, however, giving importance to the meeting between former RAW chief, A.S. Daulat and Abdullah earlier this month.

Daulat had called on Abdullah and speculations had gone rife that he had come to offer some deal to the National Conference president to ensure his release.

Two former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are still under detention and there is no official indication that the detention of these two leaders would also be revoked soon.

Meanwhile, sources close to the family of Farooq Abdullah said that they were very relieved that his detention has ended and now they were looking forward to the release of his son, Omar Abdullah, also.

There was a big presence of media personnel outside his residence at the Gupkar road, which had been converted into a sub-jail ever since he was put in detention.

Farooq Abdullah’s wife Molli Abdullah had flown from England and had been living with him during his detention.

He was briefly seen in October when a National Conference delegation met him at his residence. He had made a victory-sign to the media present near his house.

IANS