Seemingly giving in to pressure from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Moderate Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq decided to present himself before the agency for questioning on Monday.
This follows the third summons issued by NIA asking Mirwaiz to appear for examination at its headquarters in New Delhi on April 8. Keeping in view security concerns raised by Mirwaiz, NIA had in writing assured the Hurriyat chief of full security.
NIA had summoned Mirwaiz in a case registered in 2017 under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including Sections 121 (waging war against the state) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and others.
A crucial meeting of Hurriyat Executive Council members, including chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Gani Lone, Masroor Abbas Ansari was held on Sunday to discuss the summons and further course of action.
"NIA has refused to conduct the investigation in Srinagar but said it would take care of his security concern. It is unfortunate that they did take into account other concerns and are insisting on an investigation in Delhi. It was decided in the meeting that they (all executive committee members) will accompany Mirwaiz to New Delhi for the investigation," said a Hurriyat Conference spokesman.
It was agreed upon in the meeting that Mirwaiz was being deliberately harassed and an effort is being made to criminalise the leadership because of their political stand.
"Hurriyat is a coalition of political parties striving for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and to associate it with anything related to terror is ridiculous and deliberate victimisation because of our political ideology," said the spokesman.
The Hurriyat spokesman noted that while they have always maintained that Kashmir is a political issue that needs a peaceful resolution, yet rulers of the day are resorting to such tactics as to harass and intimidate them under the garb of legality.
"Despite having nothing to do with the matter, Mirwaiz, through his legal council had said that he was ready to cooperate in the investigation but had asked the agency to conduct it in Srinagar as he had several genuine concerns about being in New Delhi," he said.
People, the spokesman said, are anguished and concerned for Mirwaiz as their religious emotions are also attached to him. "Mirwaiz or any member of Hurriyat has nothing to do with the so called funding case and it is sheer vindictiveness on part of the authorities," he said.
This is the third time that Mirwaiz has been asked to report to the NIA for examination. On March 9, the agency had first summoned him for questioning in the terror funding case.
Later, Mirwaiz had sent a detailed response to the NIA through his counsel Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, informing the agency that he was willing to cooperate if he is examined at Srinagar. Mirwaiz later cautioned the agency about the "disturbance of the fragile situation" in case they insist him to travel to the national capital for questioning.
FLASHBACK
On March 9, the agency had first summoned him for questioning in the terror funding case. Later, Mirwaiz had sent a detailed response to the NIA through his counsel Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, informing the agency that he was willing to cooperate if he is examined at Srinagar
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