Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said that invoking the Public Safety Act (PSA) against former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti was "most unfortunate".
The former PDP leader demanded a "level playing field" for all political parties for the revival of the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir.
Bukhari said that putting mainstream leaders and workers behind bars in and outside Jammu and Kashmir does not serve any purpose and rather raises a question on the nation's democratic set-up.
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"Not only the top leadership of political mainstream is behind bars but over a thousand workers who have sacrificed a lot for strengthening the political process in Jammu and Kashmir are still under detention," Bukhari said in a statement.
"Releasing them all at the earliest will not only provide much-needed succour to their families but will indisputably grant a lease of life to the stalled democratic process in J&K," Bukhari added.
He said the use of PSA against mainstream political leaders is not justifiable and should be revoked without any further delay.
"Booking former chief ministers and other mainstream leaders under PSA dents the efforts for renewing a mired political process. This untenable action is not only discouraging but dispiriting for all assiduous political workers who want a level playing field for all shades of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Bukhari said that the union government must not allow the notion of helplessness to prevail among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and take all measures to restore the lost trust and confidence mandatory for the resumption of a meaningful political outreach.
"There is no substitute to sincere and meaningful political outreach and that can commence with the release of the three former chief ministers and all other mainstream leaders and activists irrespective of their political affiliations," he said.
PTI report
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