Political parties and individual politicians Tuesday welcomed the release of National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah and demanded immediate release of all Kashmiri prisoners.
Dr Farooq Abdullah:
“I am glad to see him out from the detention, which has lasted for around eight months. Total redemption of the situation is not possible until all political detainees and others are not released at once. I express my gratitude to those people, politicians, parliamentarians, who have all along been seeking his release,” Dr Farooq Abdullah said.
National Conference:
NC leaders including Members ofParliament welcomed the release. They also demanded immediate release of NCGeneral Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar Amd other leaders.
Members of Parliament MuhammadAkbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi welcomed the release of party’s vice-president.Party’s additional general secretary Dr Sheikh Mustufa Kamal, provincialsecretary Showkat Mir, spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar besides Sara Hayat Khan,District President Peer Afaq Ahmad, YNC President Salman Ali Sagar, YNC Vicepresident Ahsan Pardesi, Women’s wing provincial President Er Sabiya Qadri, Minority wing organizer J S Azad, LegalCell functionaries welcomed his release.
Ghulam Nabi Azad:
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader ofOpposition in Rajya Sabha, welcomed the release of Omar Abdullah.
“I am extremely happy thatultimately Mr. Omar Abdullah has been released after nearly eight months ofdetention by the Central Government. This detention was totally undemocraticand uncalled for. I urge the Governmentof India to also immediately release Mrs. Mehbooba Mufti and hundreds ofother political detainees who are eitherin Jammu & Kashmir or in jails of different parts of the country especiallyin view of the coronavirus crisis.” Azad said.
Azad added that it’s high timethat the Government realises its mistake and restores the Statehood of Jammu& Kashmir. He further elaborated that the Government must also give backthe exclusive rights on lands and services and the constitutional anddemocratic rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir as before August 2019.
Altaf Bukhari:
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari,president JK Apni Party also welcomed the release of former CM Omar Abdullah.
In a statement, Bukhari termedthe revocation of the PSA against Omar a significant move that will help inmaking the situation more conducive in Jammu and Kashmir.
He demanded that PDP presidentMehbooba Mufti and hundreds of political activists currently detained in andoutside Valley jails be freed especially in view of the coronavirus.
Devender Singh Rana:
National Conference ProvincialPresident Devender Singh Rana welcomed the release of Omar Abdullah, describingit a step in right direction.
“It is a defining momentthat will go a long way in further strengthening democracy and initiatinggenuine political activities in Jammu and Kashmir”, Rana said in astatement.
Rana expressed the hope thatrelease of Mr Omar Abdullah will lead to release of all other political leadersagainst whom there are no criminal charges. This is imperative for generatingan atmosphere of trust and creating conducive conditions to resume healthypolitical discourse in the larger interest of the people, he said.
PDP:
Peoples Democratic Party onTuesday welcomed the release of Omar Abdullah and has demand the release oftheir party president and other political leaders.
“It is welcome step,” PDP leaderssaid in a statement and demanded immediate of Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders.
The leaders who welcomed therelease of Omar Abdullah form detention are PDP secretary Abdul Hameed Kohseen,Haji Parvaiz Ahmad, Arif Laigroo, Abdul Qayoom Bhat, Rouf Bhat, Nazir Khan, DrAli Muhammad, Mohsin Qayoom, Bashir Beigh.
Congress:
Welcoming the release of formerCM Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) todayreiterated the demand for the release of all mainstream leaders and politicalactivists under detention including house arrests besides lifting of unwarrantedand undemocratic curbs and restrictions on the Congress leaders and othersforthwith and allowing 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir.
JKPCC Chief Spokesperson RavinderSharma said that it was already expected in view of the observations of theapex court and the consistent pressure of the opposition parties.
CPI(M):
“Omar”s release is a step tocorrect one wrong among many wrongs. Though late, the decision is a welcomeone. In the wake of spread of deadly coronavirus, the government should releaseall the detainees who were detained after August 5, including PDP president andformer CM Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir People”s Movement chief ShahFaesal,” CPI (M) secretary Ghulam Nabi Maki said in a statement.
Peoples Conference:
Peoples Conference also welcomedOmar”s release and demanded the release of its chairman Sajad Lone. “We at@jkpc welcome the release of Omar Abdullah. We demand the release of @sajadloneand @mehboobamufti. We also strongly demand the release of hundreds of othersdetained under PSA. @jkpc demands the release of our workers being held underPSA on Srinagar Central Jail and jails outside J&K,” Imran Reza Ansari ofJKPC wrote on his Twitter page.
Iltija Mufti:
While PDP president MehboobaMufti’s daughter also welcomed the release of Omar, at the same time she saidit seems the regime fears the women. “Glad he will be released. For all theirtalk of nari Shakti & women emancipation, seems like this regime fearswomen the most (sic),” Iltija wrote on Mehbooba”s Twitter handle.
Sitaram Yechury:
“After eight long months oftotally unjustifiable detention, we welcome the release of Omar Abdullah.Immediately, Mehbooba Mufti, Shah Faesal and thousands of others detained inand outside J&K must be freed. Given the nation-wide clampdown overCOVID19, this is an imperative. Internet, the lifeline for support andinformation at a time like this, cannot be limited in Kashmir. They should getfull, unfettered and speedy access to the net,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechurysaid in a statement.
CPI(M):
Welcoming the release of OmarAbdullah, Secretary CPI(M) Ghulam Nabi Malik on Tuesday urged the government torelease political leaders, activists and civil society members, who weredetained arbitrarily after August 5, 2019.
Hakeem Yaseen:
Chairman Peoples Democratic Front(PDF) Hakeem Yaseen welcomed the release of Omar Abdullah. In a statement,Yaseen has urged for the release of Mehbooba Mufti, Shah Faisal, Sajad GaniLone alongwith all other political leaders and youth.