National Conference (NC) president and Member of Parliament Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday afternoon visited his political rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s family in Srinagar.
Sources said Dr. Abdullah, who was released on March 13 after over seven months of detention, enquired about the family of still incarcerated former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who remains in an isolated detention centre in Srinagar.
Sources said Dr. Abdullah reached the Fair View residence of the Muftis located on Srinagar’s Gupkar Road around 4 p.m. and spent around two hours with them. Sources said Ms. Mufti's mother Gulshan Ara and daughter Iltija Mufti received Dr. Abdullah.
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“It was purely a courtesy visit. Dr. Abdullah being the senior most leader in the political landscape of J&K, it's a gesture we appreciate,” Ms. Iltija told The Hindu .
Dr. Abdullah's gesture is significant in the wake of the Gupkar Declaration signed by the regional parties jointly on August 4 in Srinagar, just a day ahead of the Centre's decision to revoke J&K's special status.
The NC leader has already hinted that he will not take any position on the episode of August 5, 2019 “unless and until other detained leaders” are released in in J&K.
Both Dr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti were considered key political rivals in J&K prior to the revocation of J&K's special status .
