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Kashmir unrest: How a former Union Minister helped the primary financier escape to Dubai

Mir was first arrested by the Delhi police while carrying Rs 55 lakh and some explosives.

By Vicky
|
Google Oneindia News

The name of Nasir Shafi Mir is back on the table as the National Investigation Agency probes the funding to the Hurriyat Conference to create unrest in the Valley. Mir a double agent is considered to be the financial brain behind funding the unrest in Kashmir. Mir was arrested in 2006, but managed a sensational escape after he jumped parole.

The details of this escape are not only sensational, but murky as well. During the probe in 2009, the name of a former Union Cabinet Minister had cropped up. The minister had taken up the case with the government regarding Mir's release after Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had put this as one of the pre-conditions for entering into a dialogue.

Kashmir unrest: How a former Union Minister helped the primary financier escape to Dubai

While the investigating agencies had said that they would probe the former minister, the matter was never taken up. Letting Mir get away was a costly miss for the agencies. His name had first cropped up after the arrest of Gulam Nabi Fai for receiving funds from the ISI. Fai was picked up by the FBI and during the questioning the name of Mir had cropped up.

Tracking Nasir Shafi Mir:

Mir was first arrested by the Delhi police while carrying Rs 55 lakh and some explosives. Following his arrest he made several requests for parole. He cited medical issues and finally granted parol.

He then got in touch with senior government officials who helped him secure a passport from a southern state. He was then helped by the government officials and also a separatist leader to reach Nepal in October 2008. He then reached Dubai after making a detour through Europe and Libya. The police said that the last time Mir was spotted was with Mirwaiz at a five star hotel in Delhi. That was in September 2008.

NIA sources say that he may have moved to Saudi Arabia now. He has been channelising funds into the Valley. It was found that he along with Fai had played a key role in sending funds to the separatists in the Valley. When Mir had been questioned he had told the police that the money was meant for Mirwaiz. He also said that the separatist leader had huge investments in Dubai.

Funding the separatists:

A resident of Lal Bazar in outskirts of Srinagar city, Mir quit his studies in 1983 to get into the carpet business which he continued till 1990 after which he shifted to the national capital and stayed in Lajpat Nagar area of South Delhi.

In late 1990's, he went to Dubai soon after his father was arrested over his links with terrorists. Mir had also told investigators that he first opened a firm named Kashmir Master Computers, after which he purportedly set up a company, Failala, but shut it down in 1998. In 1999, he again opened a firm called Idekas. Thereafter, he reportedly started an information technology firm.

Police have found that in 2002, Mir also opened two money exchange companies, Reems Exchange and Cash Express, which were allegedly being used as a stopover for money being pushed in from Pakistan for terrorist funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

The double agent:

He was roped in when the Indian Government tried to negotiate with the Hizbul Mujahideen. This was back in 2000 when the IB had enlisted him to bring Syed Ali Shah Salahuddin to the talks table.

He even met with the then Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey in Srinagar. The talks however did not go through. The officer notes that he was considered to be useful for India. However it was found that he was more beneficial for the Pakistanis. The Indian agencies had also found that he was helping Pakistan channelise money to the separatists in Kashmir. Mir now has a Pakistani passport.

He regularly shuttles between Pakistan and Gulf where he has business interests.

He had some usefulness for now an officer in the know of the episode said. We were aware that he was linked with the ISI. He was useful for us at that time and hence he was enlisted the officer also said.

OneIndia News

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