Mehbooba Mufti welcomes Wangchuk NSA revocation, says law should never have been invoked

• Mehbooba says NSA misuse must end, welcomes Centre’s move in Sonam Wangchuk case

Srinagar, 14-03-2026: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday welcomed the Centre’s decision to revoke the detention of Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act, saying the stringent law should never have been invoked against him in the first place. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister described Wangchuk as an environmental voice whose detention under such a harsh law was unjustified and regrettable. The Centre revoked his NSA detention with immediate effect on March 14, nearly six months after his arrest.

Mehbooba Mufti said the revocation was a welcome step but added that the same concern should also extend to many others who remain imprisoned under stringent laws such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and who, according to her, do not have the means to pursue prolonged legal battles. She said several detainees continue to remain behind bars for years without trial, raising wider concerns about access to justice and the prolonged use of preventive or anti-terror provisions. Her remarks placed Wangchuk’s relief in the context of a broader debate on detention, due process and the human cost of long legal incarceration.

She also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this week to grant bail to separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah. The Supreme Court granted Shah bail on March 12 in a terror-funding case, with reports noting the delay in trial as a significant factor. By referring to both Wangchuk and Shah, Mehbooba sought to underline what she described as the need for a more humane and balanced approach in cases involving prolonged detention.

Mufti further said that a meeting of party leaders held earlier in the day had discussed the situation in Kashmir in the wake of recent protests expressing support for Iran. She claimed that many people had been in jail for nearly two weeks for participating in what she described as peaceful demonstrations. Referring to Kashmir’s historical and emotional links with Iran, she said it was natural for people in the Valley to feel the pain of the Iranian people in the present situation. She appealed to the Lieutenant Governor to release those arrested during the recent pro-Iran protests in Kashmir as a humanitarian and confidence-building step.

The PDP chief also said that a resolution expressing solidarity with the people of Iran was passed at the party meeting and urged Muslim countries to come to Iran’s aid in the current circumstances. In addition, she called upon the Centre to review its policy approach towards the region, while recalling that India has historically shared good relations with Iran and that Tehran had stood by India during difficult times. Her remarks brought together the issues of civil liberties, regional sentiment and foreign policy concern, giving the day’s political response a wider emotional and political frame.