J&K parties must unite to bring back detainees outside UT: Farooq Abdullah

"This is a humanitarian demand and I hope others will join me in placing this demand in front of the government of India," he said

NC president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday appealed to all political leaders in the erstwhile state to unite in appealing to the Centre for bringing back all detainees lodged in jails outside the union territory on "humanitarian" grounds.

In his first statement after being released on Friday, the 82-year-old leader, who is at present a Lok Sabha member, said, "Before we allow politics to divide us, I appeal to all political leaders in the state to unite behind the call to the union government to bring back all detainees from Jammu and Kashmir from prisons outside the state pending their release."

"While we would like to see them all released as soon as possible, pending that they should be shifted to JK. This is a humanitarian demand and I hope others will join me in placing this demand in front of the government of India," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.