Member Legislative Assembly Doda, Mehraj Ahmed Malik, on Tuesday, sought the formation of a committee that will look into the PSA implantation in Jammu Kashmir.
Condemning the detention of a social activist from the Doda region, he said, “the authorities should fix the environmental mess instead of detaining those who raise concerns over it.”
Mehraj said that Kashmiri youth were being booked under PSA under the pretext of national security and anti national activities and this needs to stop immediately.
He said that a youth Kalimullah who had raised alarm over the growing environmental pollution was booked under PSA for no reason.
“I, as an elected member of the people, seek an advisory board to review the usage of public safety act on citizens. It shouldn’t be blatantly used with no accountability whatsoever,” he told the press.
The Public Safety Act (PSA), enacted in 1978, allowed preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial to maintain public order.
The Act established an Advisory Board, consisting of a chairperson (usually a retired or sitting judge) and two legal experts, tasked with reviewing detentions. The board would recommend whether detentions should be carried out or not.
This mechanism aimed to provide judicial oversight, but its effectiveness was limited, especially after amendments in 2018 and changes following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.