SRINAGAR: After allowing the National Conference leaders to meet detained party chief Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and lifting the August 2 security advisory asking tourists to leave the Valley, the state authorities on Thursday released three mainstream leaders from detention after they signed a ‘surety bond’ pledging not to disturb law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said three mainstream leaders Yawar Mir, Shoaib Lone and Noor Mohammad Bhat, who were detained immediately after scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K by centre on August 5 and lodged at Centaur Hotel in Srinagar, were set free on Thursday.
Of the three, Yawar and Noor belonged to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and are former legislators while Shoiab belongs to Congress and is also a former legislator.
Earlier, the authorities had set free three detained mainstream leaders - Imran Ansari of the Peoples Conference, Hilal Ahmed of the Congress and Syed Akhoon of the National Conference. While Imran, who is a former minister, had signed the surety bond, the two others were released on health grounds. The authorities had last week released all the Jammu-based leaders.
Iltija slams government
Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija slammed the government for making the detained leaders sign the bond. “Reports say detainees released today were forced to sign bonds... Many including Mehbooba Mufti have catego-rically refused to sign these bonds,” Iltija tweeted.