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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 24

National Conference vice-president and former CM Omar Abdullah was released on Tuesday after nearly eight months in detention as the administration revoked his incarceration under the Public Safety Act.

Edit: Omar’s detention ends

Soon after his release from the Hari Niwas guest house, Omar talked to reporters and urged the Centre to release other detainees and also restore high-speed Internet services in Jammu and Kashmir.

“People are detained in and outside the state. The Centre should have mercy, release them and send them home. I also request the Centre to end the Internet restrictions,” Omar said. He also urged people to take safety measures and protect themselves from Covid-19. Earlier in the day, J&K Government’s spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted that the detention order of Omar Abdullah had been revoked.

Omar served as J&K’s Chief Minister from 2009 till 2014.

The former CM, who was detained in August last year when a major crackdown was launched in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370, said during his detention he had “thought a lot” to talk about political issues, but said he would now wait for the pandemic to end.

“I want to give this message to all that we should maintain social distancing. I will talk in detail later about what happened to J&K after August 5, but first we should save ourselves from this virus,” he said.