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J&K authorities allow visitors to meet detained leaders in hotel
Officials said the visitors were being allowed to meet the detained politicians at the hotel-turned-sub-jail amid tight security and following completion of certain formalities.
Authorities have since Tuesday allowed visitors to meet top politicians detained at Srinagar’s Centaur hotel ahead of the Centre’s move to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir special status and to split the state into two Union territories on August 5.
Over 50 politicians, including former ministers and legislators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Conference (NC) and Peoples Conference (PC), are lodged at the hotel. Authorities imposed curbs on people’s movement, suspended telecom services and detained hundreds of people to pre-empt protests against the Centre’s move.
Officials said the visitors were being allowed to meet the detained politicians at the hotel-turned-sub-jail amid tight security and following completion of certain formalities
Bilal Ahmad, a visitor from north Kashmir’s Sonawari, said he was part of a group that was allowed to visited cleric and PC leader Imran Raza Ansari at the hotel. He said they were relieved as they could have Ansari solemnise the nikah of his niece. “He [Ansari] is our leader and also our moulvi [cleric] sahib. We have been going from pillar to post so that he can solemnise the nikah…. Today we managed to get it done,” said Ahmad.
The nikah ceremony was scheduled to be held on August 24 but because of Ansari’s detention, it could not be held.
“Since August 5, we have been attempting to reach Ansari sahib. First, we were told he is outside [Srinagar] and then we came to know he is here [at the hotel]. Since then, we have made six attempts to meet him. Only today [Wednesday] we succeeded,” Ahmad said.
PDP leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra’s brother, Hafeez-ur-Rehman Para, said he was allowed to meet the former after submitting an application. “Yesterday [Tuesday] some of our family members were allowed to go inside [the hotel and meet the PDP leader],’’ he said. He added the prisoners appeared anxious but in good health.
Former PDP minister Ashraf Mir’s cousin, Shabir Ahmad, said the political prisoners have been kept in separate rooms and visitors were being allowed to meet them on the hotel lawns. “I was there for 10 minutes… yesterday [Tuesday] other family members, including his wife and children, were allowed to meet him,’’ he said. “I saw leaders of several political parties. They are allowed to meet each other.’’
Sajjad Ahmad, a relative of bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, said he was allowed to meet him for five minutes. “Last evening [Tuesday] his [Faesal]’s wife also met him along with other relatives.’’
It was unclear whether visitors were being allowed to meet detained former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who are lodged separately at Srinagar’s Hari Niwas Palace and Cheshma Shahi. Another former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who is a Lok Sabha member, has been under house arrest at his residence.
