SRINAGAR: Former minister and National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar was on Wednesday released from a sub-jail after 10 months after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Reports said that Sagar was released from a government guesthouse which has been designated as a sub-jail.
He was detained in August last year after the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President, Member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah in a statement on Wednesday welcomed the release of Party General Secretary and former Minister Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar detention.
The duo said the authorities should see the writing on the wall and release all the political detainees languishing in their houses and detention centers.
Party’s Additional General Secretary Dr Sheikh Mutafa Kamal, party Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial Secretary Showkat Ahmed Mir, Provincial vice president Muhammad Syed Akhoon, District President Srinagar Peer Afaq, Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, additional spokesperson Sara Hayat Shah, Women’s wing provincial president Er. Sabiya Qadri, YNC Vice president Kashmir Ahsan Pardesi have welcomed the quashing of PSA and subsequent release of Party General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar saying measure has brought respite to his family, supporters and followers.
While hailing the decision of the court party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said, “It was quite depressing to see a political figure like Sagar Sahib who possesses a matchless conviction towards democracy go through such unjustifiable trepidation. The verdict of the honourable high court has also underscored the unwarranted nature of all the detentions of the 5th August last year. Regrettably, the succour didn’t come from the government, it is the honourable court which provided relief to the family, followers and friends of Sagar Sahib by allowing him to walk free subsequent to quashing of PSA against him. The judgment has also revealed the defenceless nature of all detentions which were carried out in the run-up to August 5th measures. Therefore the government should without any further delay let all the detainees walk free. There is no reason for the government to hold up the release of other detainees.”
“Our senior party functionaries including Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Nasir Aslam Wani, Mohammad Shafi Uri, AR Rather, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Shameema Firdous, Mir Saifullah, Ali Muhammad Dar, Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, Irfan Shah, Aga Syed Mehmood, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Hilal Lone and scores of other politicians and activists continue to remain incarcerated at their respective homes, some at detention centers. One is at wits end to ascertain the rationale behind prolonging their illegal and unjust detention,” Imran said while demanding their immediate release.
“Given the fact that the detention of Sagar sahib and PSA against him didn’t stand the test of law, the government should not wait for other detainees to knock the door of courts. All of them should be set free without putting them to further trouble. Having legitimate political voices under detention will not only harm democracy but also demean the contribution of these people who have all through been representing people democratically in the legislature and government. Having them incarcerated is undoubtedly an affront against those numerous people who have been voting for them. Having them under illegal detention, denying them access to colleagues, family, relatives is indeed exceedingly authoritarian and least insightful of a country’s democratic values fortified by its constitution,” he said.
