Srinagar: PDP leader Naeem Akhtar was Sunday released from house detention after over a month, officials said here. This comes amid hectic political consultations in Jammu and Kashmir within mainstream regional parties, including the PDP and National Conference (NC), over an all-party meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24.
"Akhtar has been released from house detention," an official said. The PDP leader was put under house arrest on May 10 after his release from five-month preventive detention during which he was lodged at the MLA Hostel here. Several leaders of the PDP, including Akhtar and Sartaj Madni, and those of NC were taken into preventive custody on December 21 last year -- a day ahead of the counting of votes for the District Development Council elections.
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Akhtar was first detained in August 2019 and later booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). He was released in June 2020 after 10 months of detention, but was again taken into custody in December last year. Madni, who is also the uncle of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, was released from preventive detention on Saturday.
The PDP on Sunday authorised Mehbooba to take a decision on the invitation for the June 24 talks. The issue will also be discussed in the meeting of the PAGD -- of which the NC as well as the PDP are a part of -- on Tuesday here.
