Mehbooba Mufti moved to her official residence, remains in detention under PSA

In a partial relief, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was on Tuesday moved to her official residence where she would continue to be in detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).

Having spent over eight months in detention at two government facilities that were designated as sub-jails, Mufti reached her home Tuesday evening as a posse of media personnel, braving rains, made attempts to capture the former chief minister.

Mufti heads the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which was in power in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the BJP till June 2018.

"Ms Mufti is home but still booked under PSA. Media wasn't given access to her at all despite waiting for hours. Is GOI scared that she'll articulate her views on illegal abrogation of Article 370? Time doesn't change facts or erase a betrayal etched in memory," Mufti's daughter Iltija posted on her mother's Twitter account.

Iltija said that once the restrictions on her mother are finally lifted, she will approach all stakeholders for a joint strategy to move forward.

"She will also speak to the press about her views on what transpired post 5th August," she tweeted.

Iltija also tweeted her mother's appeal to the Centre for releasing all detainees including political leadership jailed in and outside JK immediately.

Political leaders, including Mufti and two other former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were detained on August 5 last year when the Centre announced its decisions to abrogate the special status of the erstwhile state and divide it into two Union Territories.

Initially, she was taken into preventive custody. Later on February 6 this year, she was slapped with the PSA along with Omar Abdullah, who was released recently. The senior Abdullah had been released early last month.

According to an official order issued by the home department of the Union Territory, "The government hereby orders the change of place of lodgement of Ms Mehbooba Mufti...to subsidiary jail, Fairview, Gupkar Road, Srinagar, with immediate effect."
In a tweet, he said, "Mehbooba Mufti must be set free. Shifting her home while continuing to keep her detained is a cop out."