Saifuddin Soz demands immediate release of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti from house arrest

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Prof. Saifuddin Soz has urged the J&K Lt. Governor to immediately release PDP President and former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti, who has been placed under house arrest.

“It is so tragic that PDP President Ms. Mehbooba Mufti has been placed under house arrest for her simple statement that there is no normalcy in Kashmir. I wonder as to what is wrong in her statement when it is obvious that there is no normalcy in Kashmir,” he said in a media statement.

“It is strange that the UT administration has become so narrow in its usual treatment towards mainstream political leaders. The arrest of Mehbooba Mufti itself shows that there is no normalcy in Kashmir. I urge Lt. Governor to release Mehbooba Mufti immediately as this action of the UT Administration will show it in poor light all over,” Soz added.

Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said that she has been placed under house arrest at her residence in Srinagar. Taking to Twitter, Mufti said while the Government of India is expressing concerns about the rights of Afghans, it is denying the same to Kashmiris.

"GOI expresses concern for the rights of Afghan people but wilfully denies the same to Kashmiris. Ive been placed under house arrest today because according to admin the situation is far from normal in Kashmir. This exposes their fake claims of normalcy," Mehbooba tweeted.

This came a day after Mufti said that the last rites of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who died on Wednesday night, should have been performed as per family wishes.