Omar Abdullah refuses to meet officials till shifted home

Sri Nagar: Detained former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has refused to meet any government official and discuss with them any ‘options’ being offered till he is shifted to his Gupkar residence, his family said.

“He (Omar) has made it very clear that he is not ready to meet anybody to discuss anything unless he is sent back home,” Omar’s sister Safia Khan told this newspaper.

Omar has been detained at Hari Niwas Palace, which has been turned into a sub-jail by the state authorities. Omar, along with his father and three-time former CM Farooq Abdullah and other mainstream leaders, was detained immediately after scraping of Article 370 by the Centre on August 5 to prevent backlash against removing of State’s special status.

Safia said Omar has told authorities that he should be shifted to his residence where he can be placed under house arrest. “Until shifted back to home, he is not ready to listen to any offers,” Safia said.

The authorities are asking the detained mainstream politicians to sign surety bond so that they can be shifted home. In the surety bond, they have been asked to give in writing that they won’t indulge in any activity that will



cause law and order problem and won’t incite people to violence.

“Omar has made it clear to the authorities that he is not ready to talk to anybody,” Safia said.Asked if the family will challenge Omar’s detention in the court, she said, “I am going to meet him on Thursday. It is not my own decision alone. Any step we take has to be in consultation.”

J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said India can wrest Pakistan occupied Kashmir back from Pakistan without using any force. “If we can give love and respect to the people of J&K and secure the future of children, bring development..., I can guarantee that within a year or so there will be a revolt in PoK and you will get it without a confrontation ... the residents of PoK will on their own say that they want to come this side. This is my roadmap for PoK,” he said.

In a first major initiative to address concerns in power-deficit J&K after scrapping of Article 370, Governor Satya Pal Malik and Union Minister of State R K Singh inaugurated 15 power projects and laid foundation of 20 other projects under PMDP, IPDS and other central schemes.