National Conference president and MP Farooq Abdullah on Sunday appealed to all political parties here to join hands to seek the release of the detained people in J&K and sought immediate shift of all such detainees from outside jails to J&K.

“Before we allow politics to divide us, I appeal to all political leaders here to unite behind the call to the Union government to bring back all detainees from J&K in prisons outside pending their release. While we would like to see them all released as soon as possible, pending that they should be shifted to J&K,” said Dr. Abdullah, who was released after over seven months of incarceration on Friday.

He and other local leaders, over 270, were arrested in a major clampdown that coincided with the Centre’s move to revoke J&K’s semi-autonomous status.

He said his family was fortunate as “I was detained at home and my family had access to me”.

“Yesterday when I went to meet my son Omar, also detained under the Public Safety Act, I had to travel a kilometre from my home to be able to see him. For families of most of the detainees meeting their loved ones is not nearly as easy. Their loved ones have been detained in jails spread across a number of States. They get two visits a month for which they have to spend large sums of money they can ill afford travelling to and staying in the vicinity of these prisons,” he said.

He said at a time when people are being advised not to travel due to the COVID-19 scare, these families are being forced to put their lives at risk to meet their loved ones for a few short but very precious hours.

Dr. Abdullah said he has consciously avoided making any political statements. “While I believe a free and frank exchange of political views is essential so that we can take stock of the momentous changes J&K has seen after August 5, 2019 we are still some way away from an environment where such political discourse will be possible.”