India releases 3 low-ranking Kashmiri politicians

Other prominent Kashmiri politicians are still detained or in jail. (File/AFP)

• Telecommunication is still restricted to landline phones in the area
• Other prominent politicians and activists remain in detention

SRINAGAR, India: Indian authorities have released three low-level pro-India politicians in disputed Kashmir amid international pressure to ease a clampdown imposed more than two months ago when New Delhi downgraded the autonomy of the area it administers and imposed tighter controls.
The Indian government decision Thursday came days after it announced it would allow tourists back into the region after ordering them to leave in August because of security concerns. However, mobile Internet and cellphones remained cut, with telecommunication restricted to landline phones.
The Press Trust of India news agency says authorities released Yawar Mir, Noor Mohammed and Shoiab Lone, all low-level activists.
Prominent Kashmiri politicians, including some who have historically accepted India’s sovereignty over the disputed region, remain detained in their own homes or in jails.