How Hurriyat used Pakistan money to fund terrorism in Kashmir

The NIA had issued summons twice to these persons, but they failed to appear.

The National Investigation Agency which arrested 7 Hurriyat leaders said that they were receiving and collecting funds through illegal means, including hawala, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

"They were using funds for causing disruption in Kashmir Valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India," an NIA official said.

The NIA had conducted widespread searches in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana and recovered documents, electronic devices, cash and valuables worth several crores of rupees.

"We have ascertained financial trails which are leading to some of these accused. It has also been ascertained that some of the funding has been coming from Pakistan," an NIA officer said.

The NIA registered a case on May 30 against the separatists who, according to the agency, were acting in connivance with active militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtarane Millat, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and other organisations.

The NIA had arrested Nayeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Fantosh among others.

The NIA had expressed its inability to interrogate these persons as they were in preventive custody. The NIA had made a formal request to arrest these persons for questioning.

The NIA had issued summons twice to these persons, but they failed to appear. The NIA had issued summons to Ayaz Akbar, the spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, senior separatist leader, Altaf Fantosh and Peer Saifulla, another of Geelani's close aides.

The earlier summons were sent on July 14 and July 17, asking them to come to New Delhi but none of them appeared. Later, they informed the agency that they are under preventive detention by the J&K police.

Home Ministry sources say it was necessary to arrest these persons in order to unearth the larger conspiracy. We are also ascertaining the money trail from Pakistan, an NIA official informed.

The NIA has already scrutinised the documents that were seized last month. It was found that the accused had received money through hawala channels in a bid to fund the unrest in the Valley.

OneIndia News