J&K government releases 44 booked under PSA

As part of the confidence building measures between the centre and Kashmiri separatist leaders, state administration released 44 locals detained under the Public Safety Act, a harsher local law invoked against those fighting for secession.

The release came on the eve of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. While this release is officially described as a "major decision to diffuse tensions" between the separatists and the government, many separatist leaders see the "concession" as a "minor one that does not include any combatants".

Separatist leaders and activists in Kashmir are skeptical about the release of 44 detainees announced by the Joint Screening Committee Srinagar.

Following assurances by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that cases of persons detained in the state would be reviewed, the Joint Screening Committee in Srinagar decided to release 44 persons detained under the PSA.

Dr Singh had assured the leaders of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq when they called on him in September that cases of persons detained under the PSA and other laws in Jammu and Kashmir would be reviewed in a phased manner.

Ironically when asked whether Tuesday's Joint Screening Committee decision to release 44 local detainees came as realisation of the prime minister's assurance to them, senior separatist leader and former chairman of the APHC, professor Abdul Gani Bhat said, "I plainly and clearly refuse to comment on this."

Veiled activists of the women's separatist group, the Dukhtarane Milat (daughters of faith), took out a protest demonstration in Srinagar on Wednesday seeking the release of the group's chief, Aasiya Andrabi, though seven other of the group's activists arrested along with Aasiya were released by the administration on Tuesday.

Scores of women activists of the Dukhtarane Milat marched through the Residency Road area of Srinagar city on Wednesday shouting slogans for the release of the group's chief, Aasiya Andrabi.

The local police arrested Aasiya in September along with seven other women activists of her group, when they were carrying out a campaign on the city outskirts against alleged sex trade and growing promiscuity in the local society.

The administration later booked Aasiya and seven of her arrested activists under the PSA.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti had said sometime back that Aasiya should not have been detained under PSA and had demanded her release on the eve of Ramadan.

The list of 44 detainees released Tuesday included seven of Aasiya's activists who had been arrested with her in September. An activist of the women's separatist group said in Srinagar on Wednesday, "The seven activists had been detained along with Aasiya. Now they are released as innocents, but Aasiya ji is still kept in detention. What sort of justice is this?"