The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday extended the detention period of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), by another three months.
“In exercise of powers conferred under Section 8(1) and Section 18 of the J&K PSA, the government hereby directs the period of detention of Ms. Mufti be extended for a further period of three months and she may be lodged in the subsidiary jail, Fair View, Gupar Road, Srinagar”, reads an order, signed by Principal Secretary to J&K government Shaleen Kabra.
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Ms. Mufti's previous three-month detention period under the PSA ends on August 5. The government had extended the detention under the PSA by three months in May last, saying it was “to prevent her from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order”.
Ms. Mufti is the only top mainstream leader who remains behind bars under the stringent PSA. All other top leaders, including the National Conference leaders, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were released earlier this year.
Ms. Mufti, like other mainstream leaders, was detained on August 5 last just a day ahead of the revocation of J&K’s special status. She was lodged in two detention centres but was shifted to her official residence on April 7 this year.
