SRINAGAR: Senior PDP leaders on Monday sought permission from Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary to meet party’s jailed President Mehbooba Mufti.
Several political leaders, including Mufti, Omar Abdullah and his father and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, were detained by authorities on August 5 last year when the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into two union territories — Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir. The PSA of senior Abdullah and his son was revoked earlier in March 2020.
Mufti was booked under the stringent PSA on February 6. Having spent over eight months in detention at two government facilities designated as sub-jails, Mufti was shifted to Farview residence Gupkar on April 7.
In a letter to District Magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, Senior PDP leaders including Ghulam Nabi Lone, AR Veeri, Khurshid Alam and Aijaz Mir said that as you are aware PDP chief and ex-CM J&K Ms Mehbooba Mufti has been jailed since August 2019 after the illegal abrogation of Article 370 & subsequent bifurcation of J&K into two UTs. Unfortunately, the state administration has not allowed us to meet her since then despite repeated attempts. Most of us continue being under illegal house arrest without any written legal orders.
“Despite being detained under the draconian PSA at her residence Fairview (declared as a sub-jail), Ms Mufti has certain legal rights even as a political prisoner/detainee that cannot be violated or taken away. Apart from legal aid & adequate medical facilities these also include visitations at least twice a week & I’m sure we agree that these are rights Ms Mufti is entitled to as per the constitution. Pertinent to mention that party members have not been allowed to meet her since her illegal incarceration,” the application reads.
“One cannot stress enough the need to allow Ms Mufti, a political leader illegally detained and deliberately cut off from the public since 2019, access to her party members, well-wishers,” PDP leaders said.
PDP leaders urged the district magistrate to consider their request for allowing them to meet Mehbooba Mufti which is well within her rights as a political prisoner.
