Srinagar: Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah Thursday demanded the release of all political prisoners including former legislature Engineer Rashid.
In response to a question, Omar Abdullah said that not only Engineer Rashid, but all those Kashmiris incarcerated in different jails should be released. He said Public Safety Act should go once and for all.
Omar Abdullah was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a party convention at Aarigam Khansahab area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
He admitted that a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir is meeting the Election Commission of India to know the reason for the delay in conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir. “There is nothing wrong in meeting the Election Commission which is responsible for holding elections across India. The delegation wants to know what wrong did Jammu Kashmir do that people here are being deprived of having their own elected government.”
Omar Abdullah as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust said that last time elections were conducted in 2014 in Jammu and Kashmir and since then there is no elected government.
When asked why they are always meeting the opposition leaders and not the government, Omar Abdullah said there is no fun in meeting the government as it doesn’t budge and doesn’t listen to them. “We have stopped meeting the government as it is a futile exercise,” he said.
Omar Abdullah said except for Opposition there is nobody in Jammu and Kashmir while the government dictates the terms and doesn’t take people or political leaders on board.
“Government only knows how to harass people. When we tried to meet the government, it didn’t oblige.”
Regarding the deferment of examinations by JKSSB after a row over APTECH job recruiting agency, Omar Abdullah said it was better late than never. However, he demanded a thorough probe and said there is something fishy and people want to know why a blacklisted agency got the contract in Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]
