Mehbooba’s U-turn, Separatists Geelani, Farooq freed : Sainik Colony Row

Ignoring the opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday retracted her decision to put separatists leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest to prevent them from holding a protest rally against the proposal to set up a Sainik Colony in Kashmir.

The separatist leaders Geelani and Farooq, who were arrested earlier today ahead of their meeting on the Sainik Colony issue, have been released.

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was also arrested today morning for the same issue, is still in custody.

Mehbooba, according to ANI report, decided to go soft on the separatist leaders and gave a nod to their release.

Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and the JKLF have earlier too launched protests in joint effort against the state government’s decision to set up separate colonies for Sainiks and Kashmiri Pandits in the valley.

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani had earlier released a video warning attack on such colonies if they are set up in the valley. The video was reportedly directed at the J&K Police warning them of further attacks.

Though the Jammu and Kashmir Government has reiterated that it has no plans to set-up a Sainik colony in the valley, the controversy was raked up after reports said the government is planning to set up shelters for “floating population” and implement a new industrial policy that allows a non-state subject to get land on lease anywhere in Kashmir for 90 years.