Mubashir Bukhari
Srinagar (NVI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was released today after around seven months as the J&K Government revoked his PSA detention.
Soon after his release, Omar interacted with media outside his residence and asked the Centre to release other detainees which also include another former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He also asked the Government to restore 4G internet services in the Valley.
Earlier today, JK Government spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted: “Govt issues orders revoking detention of Shri Omar Abdullah”.
Omar has spent 232 days in custody since the government revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of J&K on August 5 last year.
The National Conference leader was initially detained under preventive custody and later slapped with the PSA on February 5.
The order of revocation comes less than a week after the Supreme Court asked the Central Government to inform if it is planning to release Omar from detention.
On February 10, Omar’s sister moved the top court challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
On March 2, the Jammu and Kashmir administration told the Supreme Court that Omar Abdullah has been a “very vocal critic” of the abrogation of Article 370 and his presence would pose an “imminent threat to public order”.
Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and other leaders, including another former J&K CM and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, were detained on August 5 last year, the day the Centre withdrew special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier this month, Omar Abdullah’s father Farooq Abdullah was released after being in detention for several months.
After his release, Farooq Abdullah had met his son Omar Abdullah in the sub-jail in Srinagar where he has been under detention for over the last seven months.
