Farooq free after 7 months

Farooq was placed under detention with several other leaders, including his son Omar Abdullah and the PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, on August 5, when the Centre scrapped the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and imposed massive security restrictions and a communication lockdown.

After remaining under house arrest for seven months, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah was released after the government revoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against him on Friday afternoon.

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Farooq was placed under detention with several other leaders, including his son Omar Abdullah and the PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, on August 5, when the Centre scrapped the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and imposed massive security restrictions and a communication lockdown.

Farooq’s detention was revoked through an order by J&K’s principal secretary (home) Shaleen Kabra.

Farooq, along with his wife Molly Abdullah and daughter Safia, spoke to the media briefly from the terrace of his Gupkar house. “I am grateful to all the people of the state to all the leaders of the country who spoke for our freedom. I am also grateful to everyone, every individual who prayed for us. But this freedom is not complete till the time all the leaders are released,” he said.

He, however, desisted from making any political comment during his brief appearance but hinted at speaking in Parliament. “I will answer no question, not speak of any political matter till everyone is released.”