INDIA
Says Pak High Commission officials involved in terror funding to separatists
The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against 12 accused, including Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Syed Salahuddin, in the terror funding case for "conspiring to wage war against the country". NIA also said that Pakistan High Commission officials were passing on money through the accused to carry out terror activities in India.
The agency alleged that Pakistan High Commission officials were giving money to arrested businessman Zahoor Watali who then handed over the money to separatists after taking commission.
NIA said that while they don't have documentary evidence, they have ample oral, circumstantial evidence and the testimony of several witnesses against several Pakistani embassy officials.
The agency claimed that they have recorded statements of total 300 witnesses.
In the charge sheet, NIA stated that they had conducted searches at over 60 locations spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Delhi, and seized over 950 incriminating documents and over 600 electronic devices.
The accused named in the charge sheet include Bashir Ahmad Bhat — secretary of Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, and photojournalist Kamran Yusuf.
Hurriyat leaders Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Mohammad Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat have also been chargesheeted.
The agency said, "The threadbare scrutiny and analysis of the documents established that the accused persons organised subversive and secessionist activities in J&K as a part of their conspiracy hatched with the active support, connivance and funding from terror groups based in Pakistan and its agencies to achieve their objective of secession of J&K."