Srinagar: The J&K government Thursday released three political leaders from preventive detention after they signed a bond for “not disrupting peace” in the Valley.
The three politicians were detained along with scores of other political leaders and functionaries hours before Government of India announced abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.
Yawar Dilawar Mir, former MLA Rafiabad, Noor Mohammed from Batamaloo, both from PDP and Shoaib Nabi Lone, who contested on Congress ticket and later resigned from the party, were released on Thursday.
Last month government had released Peoples Conference leader and former minister Imran Raza Ansari, National Conference leader Syed Akhoon and PDP leader Khursheed Alam on health grounds.
Political leaders from Jammu division who had been put under house arrest were also released last week. However, they have been advised to refrain from political activities.
The leaders released in Jammu include National Conference’s (NC) Devinder Singh Rana, Surjit Singh Salathia, Javed Rana and Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, Congress party’s Raman Bhalla and Waqar Rasool, and Harsh Dev Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party.
Over a thousand people, including politicians, activists, separatists and business leaders were detained in Valley on August 5, which include three former chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Farooq Abdullah was last month slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA), and remains under detention at his Srinagar residence while Omar and Mehbooba have been lodged in separate state guest houses.
With the release of three politicians today, Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija tweeted on her mother’s behalf: “Reports say detainees released today were forced to sign bonds. Under what law is their release conditional as their detention was illegal itself? Many including Ms Mufti have categorically refused to sign these bonds. The government with its rudderless approach is tying itself in knots”.
“A democratic India that always fought for principles of liberty & equality is today being questioned & castigated for its brutal actions in Kashmir internationally. Governments will come & go but what about the damage done to the reputation & moral fabric of this country?” she tweeted.

Mir Iqbal