Senior Jammu And Kashmir Leaders Sajjad Lone, Waheed Parra Released From Preventive Detention 

Two senior politicians from Jammu and Kashmir, People's Conference chairman Sajjad Lone and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Parra were released from preventive detention in Srinagar on Wednesday (5 February), reports Times Of India.

Lone and Parra were in preventive detention for over 180 days and 13 political leaders still remain detained at the MLA hostel in Srinagar which has been temporarily converted into a subsidiary jail.

On Tuesday, The Jammu and Kashmir administration released former PDP MLA from Wachi in south Kashmir Aijaz Ahmad Mir and trade leader Shakeel Ahmed Qalandar, former president of the Federation Chamber of Industries, Kashmir.

Senior Kashmiri politicians, activists and trade leaders were taken into preventive custody after 5 August last year when the central government abrogated article 370 that took away their special status and bifurcated it into union territories- Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Since Sunday however, a total of eight leaders have been released from preventive custody. But former chief ministers of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, NC leaders Farooq Abdullah his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti still remain in preventive detention.

A few months ago Home Minister Amit Shah had informed that detained political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir would be released at an appropriate time.