Srinagar, Oct 18 (KNS): AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks on scrapping the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), saying that from Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah, every chief minister had the chance to repeal the law but chose not to.

Owaisi’s response came after Omar Abdullah said his government would revoke the PSA once Jammu and Kashmir regains statehood, adding that he would not wait for an assembly session but issue an ordinance to remove it.

Reacting to the statement, Owaisi said the PSA was introduced in 1978 by Sheikh Abdullah to deal with smuggling and that successive chief ministers had continued to use it. “Farooq Abdullah, G. M. Shah, Mufti Sayeed, G. N. Azad, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have all been chief ministers of J&K.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThey could have easily repealed the PSA and prevented untold suffering and human rights violations,” Owaisi said.

He added that the law “has been misused by virtually every elected CM and unelected governor,” with over 20,000 people jailed since 1978 without criminal charges, fair trials, or a proper appeals process.

“Some detentions were extended for up to seven to twelve years. One separatist was detained under the PSA and, when he was later needed, he was served with a court warrant and granted bail. Now there is a truncated elected government, and it has dawned on it to do away with the PSA,” Owaisi said, adding, “Sab kuch luta ke hosh mein aaye to kya kiya, din mein agar chiragh jalaye to kya kiya.”(KNS)