More than four months after jettisoning the special quasi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, which had persisted for seven decades, the Indian government has issued directions for the release of five politicians from detention.
These lawmakers were taken into custody as a precautionary measure ahead of the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
According to a senior government official, the released detainees are: Ghulam Nabi Bhat and Ishfaq Jabbar of National Conference (NC), Zahoor Mir and Yashir Reshi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bashir Mir of Congress party.
Meanwhile, prominent lawmakers of the Kashmir valley – Chief of National Conference Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, the chief of Peoples Democratic Party, still remain under detention.
The central government hasn’t made any statement regarding the release of these three.
Last month, two prominent politicians, Ghulam Hassan Mir and Dilawar Mir, were released by the administration.
Last week, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav said the Jammu and Kashmir government will take appropriate decision from time to time to release political leaders detained after the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Several people have already been released from house arrests and preventive detention. The administration based on security assessment will take appropriate decision from time to time,” Madhav said.
While telephone services were resumed in phases days after the revocation of the special status of Kashmir on 5 August, post-paid mobile phone calling services only resumed on 12 October and pre-paid connections as well as SMS services remain barred. Mobile internet services have only been restored by the government in the Kargil area.
