New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has allowed two National Conference MPs to meet their party leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, but barred them from speaking to the media about their meeting or ‘deliberations’ with them.
The court heard a petition filed by party MPs Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi (Anantnag) and Akbar Lone (Baramulla), seeking permission to meet them. While allowing them to meet the Abdullahs, the single-judge Bench comprising Justice Sanjeev Kumar, on Thursday, said: “…the petitioners shall ensure that their meeting with the party president and vice-president is restricted to a courtesy call and to know about the well-being of the aforesaid two persons… the petitioners, after meeting, shall not go to press/ media regarding their meeting and deliberations with the aforesaid persons”.
Following the Centre’s decision to scrap J&K’s “special status”, Farooq Abdullah was placed under house arrest in Srinagar while Omar Abdullah had been detained at Hari Niwas in the state capital.
Meanwhile, restrictions were lifted from most part of the Valley. Some areas in Srinagar city witnessed an increased presence of private transport leading to traffic jams but schools remained closed and public transport was off the roads. Officials said restrictions have been lifted from most areas of the Valley, but security forces continued to be deployed to maintain law and order.
On similar lines, the Delhi High Court also allowed bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal to withdraw the plea challenging his detention from IGI Airport, New Delhi, on August 14.
This came after the politician’s wife met Faesal and told the High Court that her husband wanted to withdraw the habeas corpus plea.
