After the release on Thursday of three mainstream political leaders who were under detention for over two months, the Jammu and Kashmir administration plans to release more politicians in the coming week. These leaders were detained since August 5, the day the Centre abrogated Article 370of the Constitution revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcatingit into Union Territories.

According to sources, among those set to be released are IAS-turned-politician Shah Faesal; National Conference (NC) leader and formerlegislator from Ganderbal, Ishfaq Jabbar; and Yasir Reshi, former PDP Member ofLegislative Council (MLC).Faesal, a topper of the 2009 UPSC civil services exams, resigned from the government services and joined mainstream politics inJanuary. Two months later, he launched his own political party – the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement.“Faesal is likely to be released next week,” a sourcein the J&K administration told News18.

Sources added that the decision to release Faesal is being taken as he is likely to call off his political innings. “He will quitmainstream politics and probably head to the United States for academics,”sources close to him said.“He (Faesal) is disappointed with mainstream politicsafter the August 5 decision (to abrogate Article 370),” said a party source.

Faesal was stopped from flying out of the country at theDelhi airport on August 14 and sent back to Srinagar, where he was been placedunder preventive detention. His wife challenged his detention, only to laterwithdraw the petition in the Delhi high court.Shehla Rashid, Faesal’s ally andformer students’ union leader of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), onWednesday had announced her decision to quit the “electoral mainstream”. Rashidsaid the decision was in protest against the Centre’s “current actions” inKashmir, saying she cannot be a “party to legitimising the brutal suppressionof people”.

Faesal, sources said, will also cite the same reasons.