By IANS,
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government is reviewing the detention and arrest of hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and many others in a bid to bring peace to the valley, an official said Sunday.
Over 40 people were arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) that empowers the government to arrest and lodge a person in jail without trial for one year.
The PSA prisoners, including Geelani, are among the over 500 arrested since June in the Kashmir Valley during the past two months in the wake of massive street protests over civilian killings.
An official source said the review was undertaken following political pressure from mainstream political parties which feel that the release of those jailed would help calm tensions.
“It (reviewing) will deny perennial provocation to the stone-pelters as many take to the streets to create a situation to get their fellow protesters released, an official associated with the exercise told IANS.
The trouble in the Kashmir Valley began after the killing of 17-year-old Tufail Mattoo allegedly in police action.
The situation has not shown any signs of abating as Mattoo’s death led to a cycle of violence that continues.