Another NC leader booked under PSA

SRINAGAR — In just five days, the authorities booked six mainstream leaders from twin regional political parties including National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the Public Safety Act (PSA). The total number of mainstream leaders booked under the law mounted to seven.

Hilal Akbar Lone, a NC leader who is also son of incumbent parliamentarian Muhammad Akbar Lone has been booked under PSA on Monday morning.

Unlike other leaders, Lone was not shifted to the other place, but was kept at MLA hostel, where he is undergoing detention from last three months now, sources said.

Muhammad Akbar Lone said that several grounds mentioned in his PSA dossier include that Hilal has supported the provocative statements of his father. “Hilal is prospective candidate for NC in the area and is making provocative statements against India,” Lone while quoting the dossier, said.

Earlier on last Thursday, authorities booked four mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers—Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under PSA. On similar day, the two other political leaders-NC’s General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and PDP’s senior leader Sartaj Madni were booked under PSA.

On Saturday, PDP’s senior leader and former minister Naeem Akhter was also booked under the same law.

With a fresh PSA on another NC leader, the number of leaders booked under the act has mounted to seven including the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Farooq Abdullah who was booked under PSA six months ago.

Sources said that a few among the leaders undergoing detention at MLA hostel here would also be released from the subsidiary jail. “It has been learnt that some among them will be kept under house detention or be booked under PSA following their release from MLA hostel,” sources said.

Many leaders including three former chief ministers—Dr. Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were placed under detention on August 05, when the Central government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (Article 370) and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.