Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 31: The administration today extended the detention of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti by three months under the Public Safety Act while chairman of Peoples Conference Sajjad Lone was released after one year of detention.
Mufti and Lone were among several political leaders who were taken into preventive custody on August 4 last year, just before the Centre bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and scrapped Article 370.
Mufti’s detention order was to expire on August 5 this year. According to an order issued by the Home Department, Mehbooba will continue to remain under detention for another three months at her official residence at Fairview Bungalow, which has been declared a subsidiary jail. Click here to watch video
“The law enforcing agencies have recommended further extension in the period of detention and on examination, the same is considered to be necessary,” the order read. “The detention of Mufti has been extended to prevent her from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order.”
Scores of mainstream politicians were detained on August 4 last year and a majority of them have been set free.
Government released Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone today, after almost a year-long detention.
Former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, were also released from detention few months ago.
Lone was released this morning after being kept in detention for 360 days. “Finally five days short of a year I have been officially informed that I am a free man. So much has changed. So have I. Jail was not a new experience. Earlier ones were harsh with usual doses of physical torture. But this was psychologically draining. Much to share hopefully soon,” Lone tweeted.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah welcomed release of Lone.
”Good to hear that Sajjad Lone has been released from illegal house arrest. I hope others under similar illegal detention will also be released without delay,” Omar tweeted.
People’s Democratic Party leader and former Minister Naeem Akhtar also welcomed release of Lone
“Mubarak! This was a jail term in which the trial begins only after release. Great pleasure to have remained together for a long time, enough to know each other better and appreciate that no two Kashmiris have no reason to fight each other. For there are no prizes to win,” he tweeted.
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