Mehbooba leads protest march against ban on Jamaat, seeks release of Jamat activists, warns of more such protests

Anantnag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday led a protest march over the demand for lifting of ban on Jammu and Kashmiri Jamat-e-Islami in Khanabal area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district
Reports said a large number of PDP workers and leaders took part in the protest held outside housing colony in Khanabal.The protesters raised slogans to demand release of hundreds of JeI workers detained in a massive crackdown last month.
Talking to reporters, Mehbooba and Mufti warned of more protests if the ban on JeI was not lifted. “The arrest of members of JeI, moulvis and Imams affiliated with Ahli-Hadith is a direct interference in our religious affairs. We won’t tolerate this,” she said.
The JeI, a socio-political organisation, was banned last week by the Union Home Ministry on “opinions” that it is in “close touch with militant outfits and is supporting extremism and militancy”, supporting claims for “secession” and was also involved in “anti-national and subversive activities”.