PDP meeting foiled, leaders stopped from leaving homes

Srinagar, Sep 3 (IANS) A meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) here on Thursday was disallowed by the police, which stopped some of its leaders from moving out of their houses.

The meeting was called by the party General Secretary G. N.Lone Hanjura at the party headquarters in Srinagar.

It was supposed to be the first meeting of the party leadership after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year.

Senior party leader and former PDP Minister Naeem Akhtar posted a video on Twitter of him being stopped by the police.

Akhtar tweeted: “Despite being free on paper and in government submissions in High Court and Supreme Court, PDP leadership continues to be under illegal detention, without any official orders. Video from today – I wasn’t allowed to attend the PDP meeting nor were any of my colleagues.”

Party leader Waheed Ur Rehman Parra also tweeted: “Our story: A year of unfreedom & many claims later we were told we are free now. But when we try to attend the first party meet post Aug 5 they told us we are under detention.

“Question now is how choking our space in the name of law & order is contributing to the so called ‘peace’.”

Iltija Mufti, who operates her mother former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Twitter account tweeted: “Shameful that J&K admin along with police physically prevented PDP leaders from leaving their homes in Srinagar today. They shamelessly lie to courts that these people are free to move and then have the audacity to detain them illegally at home.”

–IANS

zi/dpb