DB seeks details of expenditure on security cover, medical facilities to separatists

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 3: Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M K Hanjura has directed the State to furnish details of expenditure being incurred in providing security cover and medical facilities to the separatists.
The direction has been passed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Deewakar Sharma seeking withdrawal of security cover provided to the separatists and other persons, who are indulging in anti-national activities.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Lawanya Sharma for the PIL, the DB also issued four weeks notice to Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary Home, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Chairman APHC & Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Mohammad Ashraf Sahrai, General Secretary Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Ayaz Akbar Bhat, Spokesman APHC & Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Secretary Public Relations APHC & Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Dr G M Ganai, Press secretary APHC & Tehreek-e-Hurriyat,  Mohammad Abdullah Sheikh, Office Secretary APHC & Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Yasin Malik, Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front,  Syed Qasim Shah Bukhari of Anjaman-e-Tablig-ul Islam, Qazi Ghulam Mohammad, Aga Syed Hassan of Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi Anjuman-e-Shari Shiyan, Nayeem Ahmed Khan of Jammu Kashmir National Front, Abdul Gani Azhari of Jamiate Ulama-E-Islam, Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Yaseen Hamdani of Jamiat-e-Hamdania, Azhar Bhat, Tajamul Bhat  of Kashmir Bazme Tawheed, Zaid Bhat of Muslim Khawateen Markaz, Khokhar-e-Aazam Muslim Conference, Saqib Bhat  of Tehreek-e-Huriati Kashmiri, Rafeeq Ahmad Mir of Imam Ahmad Raza Islamic Mission, Moulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi of Saut-Ul-Aliya, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari of Ittihadul Muslimeen, Asiya Andrabi of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Masarat Alam of J &K Muslim League and Sami ul Haq of Difa-e-Pakistan Council.
Earlier, during the course of hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi submitted that since the onslaught of militancy in Kashmir from 1990, there had been a war like situation in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been aided and instigated by the forces inimical to the country sitting across the border and their agents who are sitting inside the country especially in Kashmir valley.
“In order to maintain the security of the State appropriate action is required to be taken against such persons who are propagating separatism  of the State from the Union and who are also instrumental in the propagation of communal hatred leading to mass migration of Kashmiri Pandit community from Kashmir”, he further said.
“Instead of taking stern action against such persons, the State is spending huge money in providing security cover, boarding/ lodging, medical facilities and even food to such separatists and pro-militant elements particularly in Kashmir valley and the amount so spent by the Government is from the public exchequer which is collected through taxes being paid by the common man”, he further said, adding “it is baffling for a common man to understand as to how the taxes being paid by him through hard earned money is used for providing security cover, boarding, lodging and medicare to the persons who are threatening the very unity and integrity of the country as also the life of a common man”.
Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi further said, “whatever may be the policy of the Government with regard to dealing with the militants and separatists, it cannot be a policy of using the money of the common man against him by providing benefits to the separatists and preachers of militancy and their agents as private respondents are indulging into mischief of inciting the public of Kashmir valley against the State and by repeatedly indulging into challenging the accession of the State to the Union and are also raising the slogans and incitements against the unity and integrity of the country”.
It has been submitted in the PIL that respondents are involved in inciting large scale violence in Kashmir valley which has resulted into death of thousands of people and members of security forces and despite the efforts made by the State to contain their illegal criminal and subversive activities they are still continuing with their nefarious designs of making statements and taking action against the nation.
“It is again a matter of concern that during the phase of unrest large number of Government employees are found either actively involved in the protests by absenting themselves from their duties but surprisingly they are getting paid even for such period”, the counsel for the PIL said, adding “this is so because there is no system of keeping a check on the regular attendance of Government employees in the Government offices”.
“It is again very surprising that there is no uniform for the Government employees which they should wear while attending and discharging their duties and most of the times it is very difficult to identify as to who is the Government employee in the office. Providing of uniform will add discipline to the Government offices and will make it easy to identify the Government employees attending the office or not”, the counsel for the PIL further said.
“If the uniform is prescribed Government officials will be easily identified in any demonstration or protest. Moreover, during police check and search, the Government employees can be easily identified which will be even beneficial to these Government employees”, he further said.

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