Supreme Court asks Centre to inform the court about Omar Abdullah's release by next week

In a massive development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Jammu & Kashmir administration to inform the Court on whether it is planning to release former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah. Abdullah has been detained under the Public Safety Act after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K. 

The Court also asked the counsel appearing for J&K administration to take instruction and inform it. A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah adjourned the matter due to the non-availability of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Though Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal requested for a posting tomorrow, the bench said that it was not sitting tomorrow. Earlier, on March 13, the Jammu and Kashmir government revoked the detention order of Farooq Abdullah.

On March 16, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) demanded the release of party chief Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. According to the PDP Member of Parliament Nazeer Ahmed Laway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him of the two leaders' release. 

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Farooq Abdullah's release

After his release, Farooq Abdullah came to his terrace at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar, and spoke to media, stating that he is free now. The former Chief Minister of J&K thanked the people of the state and the country for standing by his side and wished that the people of his state will be free soon but refused to comment on political affairs till all the J&K leaders, including his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, are released.

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PSA against Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah

On February 6, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had slapped the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) against Mehbooba Mufti and former CM Omar Abdullah, reportedly a day before their detention was supposed to end. Along with them, Shah Faesel, Naeem Akhtar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and Sarah Madni have been detained under the Public Safety Act by the Jammu-Kashmir administration since August 5.

Meanwhile, ex-PDP minister Altaf Bukhari along with 40 other leaders has launched Kashmir's new political front 'Jammu Kashmir Apni party', accepting the 'undeniable reality' of scrapping Article 370 by the Centre.

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