Soon after he was released from the Kathua jail following the quashing of his eight-month detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) by the High Court, the lone AAP MLA in J&K, Mehraj Malik, on Tuesday vowed to continue his struggle for the people.He met supporters in Kathua and later reached his residence in Jammu where he was greeted by his supporters with flowers. Malik’s parents also welcomed him.Soon after he came out of the jail in Kathua, he told the media that his struggle would continue. “My struggle will not change as it is not for political gains but for the welfare of the people,” Malik said, urging the youth to join politics to bring a change.At his residence, Malik addressed supporters, who had come from different parts of the region. “Inside the Assembly, we see parties trading allegations against each other. But when it comes to the issues of the common man, they turn silent. I understand the pain of poor people and that is why I had joined politics,” said Malik.He said he joined politics for the welfare of the people, but was sent to jail. “Some people on high posts may call me a traitor…but poor village people know what I have done for them…,” said Malik.“I was working for the people of my area alone since 2008… Later, Arvind Kejriwal came as a ray of hope… I used to fight politicians who did not talk about poor people… I was put behind bars when I fought for the poor… It was not Mehraj inside the jail but the dreams and aspirations of people…,” he said.Malik revealed that there were many peddlers lodged inside the Kathua jail with whom he interacted. “I used to ask the drug peddlers and they told me that influential people and educated youth were among the buyers. They told me that the buyers pay Rs 10,000 for a small amount of chitta. A campaign should be started and big players, who are running the show, should be arrested,” he said.Setting aside the detention order issued by the Doda District Magistrate, the court on Monday directed the authorities to release Malik and held that the order was legally unsustainable and based on “non-application of mind”.Malik was detained last September under the PSA for allegedly disturbing public order and was subsequently lodged in the Kathua jail. On September 24, 2025, he filed a habeas corpus petition in the High Court, challenging his detention and seeking Rs 5 crore as compensation.Malik’s father, Shammas Din, expressed satisfaction over his son’s release stating that Malik had always worked for the people.