J&K HC Allows Two National Conference MPs To Meet Farooq, Omar Abdullah; Bars Them From Briefing Press

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) High Court on Thursday (12 September) allowed the two Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Conference to meet the detained party president Farooq Abdullah and party vice-president Omar Abdullah, reports Indian Express.

After the Centre scrapped the special status of J&K, Farooq Abdullah has been placed under house arrest in Srinagar while Omar Abdullah has been detained at Hari Niwas.

The two National Conference MPs, former J&K High Court Justice Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone, represent Anantnag and Baramulla constituencies respectively. They had filed a petition in the J&K HC seeking permission to meet the detained leaders.

Though, the two NC leaders has been allowed to meet with the Abdullahs, but the court has categorically barred them from speaking to the press about their deliberations with the detained leaders.

In the judgment on the plea filed by Masoodi and Lone, Justice Sanjeev Kumar said, "The petitioners shall ensure that their meeting with their party president and vice-president is restricted to a courtesy call and to know about the well-being of the aforesaid two persons… the petitioners, after meeting their party president and vice-president, shall not go to press/ media regarding their meeting and deliberations with the aforesaid persons."

The High Court has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Shahid Choudhry to facilitate the meeting, preferably this week itself.

The judgment comes after the government in response to the plea filed by the two MPs had said that it had no objection with them meeting with the Abdullahs, given they do not indulge in any activity which could vitiate the peace in the Kashmir Valley.