NC delegation meets Farooq, Omar Abdullah in house arrest for two months

A 15-member delegation of the National Conference met their party president Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdulla at his residences in Srinagar, two months after they were detained following the abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The delegation, led by Jammu provincial president Devender Singh Rana, flew to Srinagar and met Farooq at his residence where they are under house arrest since abrogation of Article 370. They also met Omar Abdullah, later in the day.

The meeting comes a day after they party was granted permission by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to meet the father-son duo.

The National Conference party president, dressed in a grey suit and black cap, showed a victory sign with a smile, while posing along with his wife for a photograph after meeting the party leaders.

After the meeting, senior leaders Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi said, “We are happy that they are both well and in high spirits, of course they are pained by the developments in the state. If the political process has to start then mainstream leaders have to be released.”

Masoodi pointed out that, everything that was done by the centre was meaningless as Article 370, 35A and special status are the primary importance for the party. “Whatever was done was unilateral and done without consulting the stakeholders,” he added.

Farooq Abdullah is under house arrest at his Srinagar residence while his son Omar is detained at a state guest house. They were one among the 400 politicla leaders who were kept under house arrest since August 5. The J-K administration had said on Thursday political leaders and activists under detention in Kashmir will be released in a phased manner after an analysis of each individual.

(With inputs from agencies)