Political prisoners to be released ahead of Eid

SRINAGAR — Government has decided to release all political prisoners and lift curbs on the movement of political leaders ahead of Eid as a major confidence building measure after abrogation of Article 370.

Sources said that Government of India has given green signal to Lt Governor Administration for the release of political prisoners.

The initiative has been taken after J&K political parties including the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Apni Party, CPI(M) and People’s Conference demanded the release of all political leaders ahead of the upcoming Eid festival in the Valley.

Some days before, J&K Apni Party delegation led by Muhammad Altaf Bukhari in a meeting with Lt Governor had demanded release of all political prisoners.

Soon after the launch of J&K Apni party, its leaders after meeting the Prime Minister and Home Minister were quoted by media as saying that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that the political leaders still under detention in Jammu and Kashmir will be released “very soon”.

Sources privy to the development, who requested not to be quoted, revealed that GoI is expecting the political parties to start their political activities so that a semblance of normalcy is sensed on ground.

Sources also revealed that former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, People’s Conference chief and former minister Sajad Gani Lone will likely be also freed and restrictions on movement of other political leaders will also be lifted and would be allowed to resume their political activities.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was released by the government after more than seven months in detention.

The move came just two weeks after his father Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister, was freed and marked the easing of restrictions on opposition politicians in Kashmir, which has been in a lockdown since August 05, 2019.

Sources also informed that some separatist leaders and activists who are not wanted in some militancy related cases will also be released.

As many as 48 inmates at a jail in Anantnag – most of them political prisoners – have tested positive for coronavirus. As soon as the news broke out, the families of these prisoners and political parties started rallying for their release.