Separatists call for 2-day strike, protests
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 26: National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out raids at the residence of around half a dozen separatist leaders and took away documents including property papers, financial transactions receipts and bank account details besides electronic equipments.
The searches were conducted in the premises belonging to top separatist leaders including chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, president JKDFP, chairman Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Mohammad Ashraf Khan commonly known as Ashraf Sehrai, General Secretary Hurriyat Conference Masarat Alam, chairman JKSM Zaffar Akbar Bhat and Naseem Geelani, son of Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani.
The raids at the houses of the separatists were conducted for terror funding case (RC-10/2017/NIA/DLI) that was registered in 2017 and under which several separatist leaders were arrested that year and they are in Tihar Jail.
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The NIA teams accompanied by CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel early today carried out searches at seven locations in Srinagar in connection with investigation in terror funding case.
They recovered incriminating documents including property papers, financial transactions receipts and bank account details during the raids. Electronic devices including laptops, e-tablets, mobile phones, pen drives, communication system and DVRs were also seized during the searches by the NIA.
They also recovered letter heads of different militant organisations as well as documents relating to recommendations for visa for admission in Pakistan educational institutions were found.
They also seized high tech internet communication set up from the residence of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Soon after the raid was over, intense clashes between youth and security forces broke out in Maisuma area here after the NIA conducted a raid at Malik’s residence.
Police and paramilitary personnel deployed in the area fired tear smoke shells and pellets at the youth, leading to intense clashes. Shops and business establishments in Maisuma and adjacent areas including Lal Chowk were shut.
The separatists called for two day strike and protests in Kashmir against the NIA raids and widespread arrests across Kashmir.
A joint statement issued by separatists asked Kashmiris to observe complete and comprehensive shutdown against the arrests and NIA raids on February 27 and 28.
The statement said that the NIA accompanied by Kashmir Police and CRPF started raiding the residences of Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, incarcerated Shabir Ahmad Shah, incarcerated Masarat Aalam Bhat, Syed Naseem Geelani son of Syed Ali Geelani, Zaffar Akbar Butt and others.
“NIA accompanied by local police officials even did not bother to knock the doorbells and straightaway barged into rooms of leaders and started vandalizing their houses and intimidating their families”, the statement said adding that this “act of clear vengeance” in many cases continued from early morning till late in the day and ended after the complete devastation of the houses and families under siege.
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