Three Former CMs Caged In Kashmir

While leaders of mainstream political parties, including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), continue to remain in detention since August 5, top separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are free. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti — all former chief ministers — along with most of the former ministers and legislators were detained by the government on August 5 after the Center scrapped special status of J&K under Article 370. Senior Abdullah was slapped with the public safety act (PSA) earlier this week, which allows detention without trial for a maximum period of two years. Sources said that the trio is unlikely to be released any time soon and neither have they made a plea to be released. “None of the detained leaders had agreed to sign bonds that they would not engage in political activity upon release,” they said. Though the Central government had cracked the whip on several top separatist leaders, including JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, and Asiya Andrabi with a multi-agency swoop down much before August 5, hardliner Hurriyat leaders Geelani and Ashraf Sehrai, moderate leaders Mirwaiz, Bilal Lone, Prof Gani Bhat, and few others were left out.