Satya Pal Malik allows NC delegation to meet Abdullahs, under detention, in Srinagar today

NC spokesperson Madan Mantoo confirmed the development, saying, “The delegation, comprising provincial president Devender Singh Rana and former party legislators, will leave from Jammu on Sunday morning.”

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has allowed a delegation of the National Conference (NC) from Jammu to meet party president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah, currently under detention, in Srinagar on Sunday.

NC spokesperson Madan Mantoo confirmed the development, saying, “The delegation, comprising provincial president Devender Singh Rana and former party legislators, will leave from Jammu on Sunday morning.”

Rana had sought a permission in this regard from the governor on Thursday evening.

Mantoo said the decision to meet the two leaders was taken during an emergency meeting of the senior functionaries and district presidents of Jammu on Wednesday, soon after restrictions on the movement of Jammu-based National Conference leaders were lifted.

Farooq Abdullah is under house arrest at his Srinagar residence while his son Omar is detained at a state guest house.

The former chief ministers are among over 500 political leaders and activists under detention since August, when the Centre moved to effectively abrogate the Constitution’s Article 370, which conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir.

Adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir governor, Farooq Khan, had said on Thursday that Kashmiri leaders would be released “one by one after analysis of every individual”.