Faesal is among one of those politicians from the Valley who has opposed the Modi government's move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir calling the move an attempt to finish space for mainstream politics in the region. Faesal had also said that Kashmir is experiencing an 'unprecedented' lockdown and its eight million population 'incarcerated' like never before.
The former IAS officer has been widely vocal against Centre's move in Jammu and Kashmir and has been expressing his dissent through political statements made on social media. "Abolition of Article 370 has finished the mainstream. Constitutionalists are gone. So you can either be a stooge or a separatist now. No shades of grey,” Faesal wrote on Twitter last week.
In another tweet, Faesal also called for restoration of the political rights which he alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken away. “Kashmir will need a long, sustained, non-violent political mass movement for restoration of the political rights,” he tweeted. He is the president of the J&K Peoples Movement party. Faesal formed his political party a few months ago and had also called for a joint strategy by mainstream J&K political parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Restrictions imposed in Jammu have been completely lifted but curbs will continue in some places in Kashmir for a while longer, a senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer said on Wednesday and emphasised that the situation is totally under control. There have been no major injuries to anyone, Additional Director General Munir Khan said. He added that there a few pellet injuries in the Valley but those have been treated.