Farooq Abdullah continues to meet leaders in Srinagar for 2nd day to test Central govt
Srinagar/UNI: Former Chief Minister and president National Conference (NC) Dr Farooq Abdullah continued to meet party leaders at his high-security Gupkar residence for the second day on Friday.
Farooq has decided to call meetings of party leaders after Union Territory (UT) administration informed the court that no NC leader has been put under house arrest after their release from detention.
The meetings have been called to see if the government will allow these leaders to attend, an NC spokesman said.
He said on Friday former ministers and senior leader Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Nasir Aslam Wani, Mubara Gul, Aga Rohullah Mehdi, Shamima Firdous, Shami Oberio, Basharat Bukhari and Mushtaq Guroo attended the meeting with Abdullah at Gupkar residence.
He said the political situation in all the three region—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh—was discussed during the meeting. Besides problems being faced by the people, party programme and future challenges and strategy were also discussed.
On the first day on Thursday, Abdullah met six senior leader—Party General Secretary Ali Mohmmad Sagar, former ministers Abdul Rahim Rather, Mohammad Shafi Uri and Nasir Aslam Wani.
Two party MPs Mohammad Akbar Lone and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi were also present at the meeting.
We have called meetings of leaders, who we believe are under house arrest, in the coming days.
He said these meetings were called only to see whether the administration will allow them to attend or they will remain under house arrest.
Abdullah on Thursday said he hoped they will remain free to go anywhere they like.
He also demanded the release of other leaders, including PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
All leaders of mainstream political parties and separatist organizations were arrested after Centre abrogated Article 370 and 35 A besides divided the state into two Union Territories (UTs) on August 5 last year.
Three former Chief Ministers—Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti—were also arrested and later booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).
However, Abdullah and Omar were released but PSA of Mehbooba was further extended.
Abdullah and his son vice president of NC Omar Abdullah had filed a number of petitions alleging that despite release from detention, about 16 senior NC leaders have been put under house arrest.
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