Mehbooba Mufti defends PSA against Masarat Alam

NEW DELHI: Ruling PDP President Mehbooba Mufti today defended invoking of Public Safety Act (PSA) against separatist Masarat Alam saying that actions supporting Lashker-e-Taiba terror group chief Hafeez Saeed would have vitiated the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehbooba, who had termed PSA as a "black spot" on democracy earlier as an opposition leader, made it clear that the decision was taken keeping in mind the forthcoming tourism season.

"We released him and you know what kind of opposition we faced in implemneting the Supreme Court order. We did not have any problems in his preaching whatever ideology he follows but praising Hafeez Saeed was too much," she told Karan Thapar in an interview for "To The Point" on Headlines Today.

Asked whether there was no problem in showing allegiance to Pakistan, she said "his behaviour was not only posing a threat to law enforcement agencies but people as well". She said people were scared as tourism season has set in.

Mehbooba said Alam was creating an environment which could have hit the tourist season.

On withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Mehbooba remained non-committal on the timeline but vaguely said that all that has been decided in the agenda of alliance with BJP will be adhered to.

"AFSPA is not going in one go. It will be withdrawn in a phased manner," she said.

The phased withdrawal of AFSPA was mooted by the previous government of Omar Abdullah.

On the return of Kashmiri Pandits and controversy on composite townships, Mehbooba said return of Kashmiri Pandits was the real test of normalcy in Kashmir.

"We will be exploring all options. By composite township, we mean settling of Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhist from Ladakh.

"They can also go back to their villages and rebuild their houses. We would like to give them security and comfort," she said.