Srinagar: Former political advisor and close aide of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Peer Mansoor, was booked under Pubic Safety Act (PSA) by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
With this, nine mainstream political leaders, including three former chief ministers, have been booked under PSA since abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories (UTs) on August 5.
Official sources said that Mansoor was served a dossier on Wednesday night informing him that he has been booked under PSA at the MLA hostel, where he was being kept. Mansoor, a former legislator, was also detained ahead of August 5.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) Vice President Abdullah were on February 6 booked under the PSA – a stringent law that allows detention without trial for up to three months and multiple extensions. Two more leaders, NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and PDP leader Sartaj Madna were also charged under PSA. The order came on the last day of their six-month detention without charges.
Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and chief spokesperson in PDP-BJP coalition government Naeem Akhtar, Hilal Lone, son of National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament (MP) Akbar Lone and IAS topper turned politician Dr Shah Faesal, who heads Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM), were also booked under PSA earlier this month. These leaders reportedly refused to sign an affidavit that they will not raise the issue of special status of the state.
NC president and MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah, who was in September last year slapped with PSA, also remained under detention at his Srinagar residence.
Over 300 leaders, mostly separatists and stone pelters have also been arrested under PSA in the valley since the imposition of Governor and later Presidents rule after PDP-BJP, headed by Mehbooba, collapsed when saffron withdraw from the alliance in June 2019.
However, over 30 leaders, including former ministers and legislators, were released after they gave in writing that they will not raise the issue of scrapping of abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state after their release.
Omar Abdullah’s detention has been challenged in the Supreme Court by his sister. The Apex court has fixed next date of hearing on March 2 after issuing notice to Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) administration.
Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, who was a minister in PDP-BJP coalition government from Saffron party quota, was released from Sub jail and later put under house arrest.
There are still about 13 former ministers and legislators detained in Sub jail MLA hostel. The leaders under detention since August 5 included, former minister and chief spokesperson of PDP-BJP coalition government Naeem Akhtar, who was also booked under PSA.
A large number of separatist leaders, including spokespersons of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), JKLF chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Democratic Freedom Party (DPF) Shabir Ahmad Shah besides Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) Mian Abdul Qayoum also remained under detention. Majority of them are detained in Delhi’s jail and other state prisons.
