SRINAGAR: In a major development, former IAS officer-turned politician and Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) president Shah Faesal has stepped down and quit politics.
Shah Faesal had launched the political party JKPM in March last year. Sources said Shah Faesal may rejoin the civil service job, which he had quit in January 2019.
They said the government has not accepted his resignation yet and there is every likelihood of Faesal re-joining the administration.
The party has confirmed that Shah has quit the party and said the current JKPM vice president Feroze Peerzada has unanimously been appointed as the interim president.
A statement issued by the party said Faesal, who was detained last year after the scrapping of Article 370 on August 5 last year, is still under house arrest.
Faesal had informed state executive members of the party that he was not in a position to continue with political activities and requested to be freed from the responsibilities, the statement further said.
Keeping in view this request, it was decided to accept his request so that he can better continue with his life and contribute whichever way he chooses," the party statement read. Shah Faesal, who was among a dozen mainstream leaders booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), has removed his political bio-data from twitter account.
The JKPM has also accepted the resignation of party Chairman Javed Mustafa Mir, who is under house arrest since August 5, 2019. Mustafa is a former PDP leader and minister.