Amit Shah has assured us that political detainees in J-k will be released soon: Altaf Bukhari

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured us that the political detainees in Jammu and Kashmir will be released soon, said Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari after a meeting with the home minister on Sunday.

"We discussed with Home Minister Amit Shah the issue of release of political detainees in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the detainees will be released very soon," said Bukhari after the meeting.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a meeting with a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir's Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari, at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Union Home Secretary AK Bhalla and other senior officials were also present at the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured the Apni Party delegation that Centre will work towards giving statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at earliest.

"Prime Minister engaged with the delegation on various issues like concerns on demographic changes, delimitation exercise, and grant of state domicile. Referring to his statement in Parliament, Prime Minister underlined that the Government will work with all sections of the population to realize the hopes of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir at an early opportunity," according to a release by the PMO on Saturday.

During the course of the interactive session with the 24-member delegation led by Altaf Bukhari, the Prime Minister engaged with the delegation on various issues like concerns on demographic changes, delimitation exercise, and grant of state domicile.

Bukhari, formerly with the People's Democratic Party (PDP), launched his own party on March 8.The Centre on Friday released the National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who was detained under the Public Safety Act following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The three-term chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state was under house arrest for several months.

Many mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir including Farooq's son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have been also put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in August that granted special powers to the region.